After the honeymoon
by linnybug
Summary: The sequel to "Ghosts of the past." Bella and Edward are headed off to college as a couple of newlyweds, but how will they handle this huge step in their lives?
1. Chapter 1

**I'm hoping absence has made all of your hearts grow fonder, because here it is...finally...the sequel to "Ghosts of the Past!"**

**Bella and Edward are at the University of British Columbia, along with Alice, Jasper, Jacob, Jessica and James (wow, I just realized that's a lot of 'J' names!) Edward has an athletic scholarship for football while Bella's scholarship is in academics. **

**But, how will our favorite couple fare as a married couple in college? Let's find out!**

**Early September  
Bella Cullen**

It was five o'clock in the morning on a Saturday, and I was not sleeping soundly in my bed next to my loving husband. Instead, I was drowsily schlepping much of my belongings to the SUV my father-in-law bought us as a graduation/wedding present so we could start our five-hour journey from Forks, Washington, to Vancouver.

By 'we,' I mean myself, my husband of almost three months Edward, my sister-in-law Alice and her boyfriend Jasper. We were all going to caravan in two cars (Edward's and Jasper's) out to begin our respective journeys at the University of British Columbia. And, as excited as I was to start this new chapter in my life—particularly with my new hubby at my side—I wasn't thrilled about the boys' insistence that we get such an early start.

"Come on, love," Edward said the week before, "The earlier we leave, the better. That way we can get settled in our apartment before it gets dark."

He had a point there. Still, it didn't mean I wasn't going to be a little bit salty about the whole getting up at the crack of dawn scenario. Even if Alice, ever so cheerful even at this ungodly hour, tried her best to boost my mood with coffee and donuts, I still felt the need to pout.

"You'll get to sleep in the car," Alice told me. "Stop being such a whiner."

I stuck my tongue out at her as I shoved my last piece of luggage into the back of the 4Runner. All of our parents were standing there, watching as their children prepared to leave the nest. It would have been so beautifully sentimental had I not been so cranky. My dad, Charlie, seemed particularly melancholy. The longest we've ever been apart was the three weeks Edward and I spent in Costa Rica on our honeymoon. Even when we returned and I unofficially moved in with the Cullens for the remainder of the summer (Edward and I took over their basement and essentially turned it into our own apartment), I still saw Dad almost every day. Now we wouldn't see each other again until Thanksgiving. That's more than two months away.

Esme was crying, but that was to be expected. She's just that special type of person who is very in touch with her emotions. But, that's what I love about her; and, it reminds me of my own dear, late mother, Renee.

Once everyone was ready to go, the four of us stood there and said our goodbyes. We had all vowed not to get too weepy about moving away. After all, Vancouver isn't that far from Forks. It could have been a lot worse, I had told my dad earlier, I could have chosen a school on the east coast. That requires much more than a five-hour drive. I think that made dad feel slightly better about my move. He was gazing sadly at the ground when I walked up to give him a hug goodbye.

"Dad, you're going to be OK, right?" He nodded. "Well, just remember I'm only ever a phone call away. And Esme said to give her a call anytime you're feeling too lonely."

Dad finally looked up and smiled at me, but the sadness was there behind his eyes. He pulled me close to him and I buried my face in his shoulder, determined not to cry. After a moment, we broke our embrace and I planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Bye, Dad. See you in November."

He nodded, but still said nothing. There was really nothing that needed to be said, anyway. I knew what he was feeling at that moment—he was sad, but he didn't want to express it lest he make me feel guilty for leaving. With one last smile at my dad, as well as a hug from my in-laws, I climbed into the SUV and closed the door behind me. Edward stepped in a moment later and turned to me. "Bella, are you going to be alright, love?"

I nodded. "Let's just go," I whispered. He leaned over the center console and kissed me gently before turning the key and bringing the car to life. He pulled out of the driveway with Jasper and Alice right behind us in a little Toyota. I plugged my iPod into the stereo adapter and found something to get my mind off this sudden rush of sadness. Michael Franti and Spearhead – perfect, some happy Rasta music. I reclined my chair back a bit and let the steady beat of the music lull me to sleep. The next think I knew, we were at the Port Angeles-Victoria ferry.

Edward and Jasper parked their cars next to each other before Edward nudged me awake gently. "Bella love, we've stopped." I yawned and stretched before opening my door and stepping out into the parking section of the ferry. Even though it was enclosed, I could still feel and smell the sea air all around me. It was actually quite refreshing.

Edward, Jasper, Alice and I walked up to the deck of the ferry to sit and look out on the water. It was a two-and-a-half hour trip across the strait, but I was glad we decided to take this route instead of going around. Not only did we get to see some of the most beautiful parts of British Columbia and northern Washington, but it also gave Edward and Jasper a break from driving. We all sat on a bench at the front of the ferry and Edward kept me wrapped safely in his arms for most of the trip. Every so often, he would brush his lips gently across my neck and it would send an electric current through my body. I hope this never ends, this bliss of being Mrs. Edward Cullen.

The coffee and donuts from earlier seemed to have filled all of us up sufficiently, as not one of us felt the need to visit the cafeteria. That, and it was probably not inexpensive to eat there, anyway. Once we had docked at Victoria, it was just a short drive until we had to take another ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. As soon as we were settled on that ferry, Edward turned to Jasper with a sly smile. "Man, I am so glad we decided to do this. Can you imagine if we had to drive all those unnecessary miles just to avoid paying ferry fees?"

"I hear you, man," Jasper replied.

Alice and I exchanged smirks and eye rolls.

An hour-and-a-half later, we were back in the cars and within twenty miles of Vancouver. My former sadness at leaving Forks was forgotten as the excitement of seeing my new home set in. Edward and I would be moving into our new apartment in under an hour, and I couldn't wait to see the place. Esme had put some money in the joint checking account Edward and I had set up over the Internet for getting the essentials, with a little extra set aside for splurges like decorations. I was practically buzzing with excitement when Edward pulled over at a McDonald's to grab a bite to eat.

"So, should we make a list of stuff we'll need in the apartment?" I asked as Edward handed me the bag of food we just ordered.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Let's wait and see when we get there, love."

"We can start now," I said as I pulled a pad and pen out of the glove box. "Like what kind of groceries do we want? Oh, won't it be so exciting to shop for groceries as a married couple?"

Edward continued to chuckle at my giddiness. "Yes love, it will be very exciting."

"And, we'll have to get stuff for school," I said, scribbling out a list. "Notebooks, pens, paper...Did they say if the apartment is going to be furnished, or do we have to look for furniture. Hey, maybe there's one of those Rent-a-Center places there..."

"Bella, love of my life," Edward said gently. "Let's just see when we get there. I'm pretty sure the place should be furnished, because it would be rather dick-ish of them to make students pay for furniture on top of all the other stuff we have to pay for."

"True," I agreed. "Sorry, I know I'm being annoying, but I just can't help how excited I am! We'll be living on our own, really starting our life together."

Edward had stopped at a red light and turned to me. "I'm excited too, love." He leaned across the seat and gave me a kiss. "And, you could never, ever be annoying. Not in a million years."

I rolled my eyes at his hyperbole and sat back so we could finish our journey in peace and quiet. But the smile never left my face; it simply grew bigger as we drove by the campus for the first time. Students were already roaming the grounds, moving into dorms and getting ready for freshman orientation. Jasper and Alice drove by us and waved as they headed off to find their dorm building. Alice was still a little miffed that only married couples could live off-campus, but she consoled herself with the fact that she and Jasper got to live in the same building.

Just a few minutes later, we were at our apartment complex, and it was so beautiful. It was small, but that certainly didn't matter to us. In fact, I liked the idea of sharing very close quarters with my new husband, very close indeed.

After meeting with the people in the leasing office, we both grabbed a couple bags and made our way to apartment 107. I was extraordinarily happy to have a ground-floor place. The complex didn't have an elevator, so having to drag myself up the steps after a long, hard day of classes would be massive amounts of no fun. Edward and I set the bags down and got a good look around. It was small – only a little living room, bathroom, kitchenette and bedroom; and not much storage space. But, all in all, it was perfect. And, thankfully, it was furnished. It had a couch, a kitchen table with four chairs and a queen-sized bed.

Edward wrapped his arms around me. "Welcome home, love."

I turned so I could give my husband a nice, long kiss that would have ended up on the couch for a long makeout session had we not reluctantly pulled apart.

"We'd better finish unpacking, or we'll never get around to it," I said.

"You're right," he sighed. "And the sooner we get it done, the sooner we can see if that bed is as sturdy as it looks."

I smacked him on the shoulder playfully. "Edward, it doesn't even have sheets on it, yet."

"Like that could stop us," he replied with a devilish grin.

**Edward Cullen**

Once we finished unpacking, everything felt really real to me for the first time since we were married. The honeymoon was amazing, but spending the rest of the summer cooped up in my parents' basement was excruciating. Despite the size of the house, there was actually very little privacy. Here, I finally had Bella all to myself.

We sat around our kitchen table and figured out what we would need, made out a grocery list and found out where the nearest stores were thanks to the handy city guide provided by the apartment complex.

"Do they have anything like a super Target here?" Bella asked as she glanced over my shoulder.

"I don't see Target," I said. "They have something called Zellers that looks promising. You want to try there?"

"Sure," she said. "It'll give us a chance to explore the city a little."

I found the debit card for bank Bella and I would be using here in BC and held it up triumphantly. "Come on then, wife; let's go get some groceries."

Bella rolled her eyes at me as she grabbed her purse, and we headed out the door. I entered the address of the store in the little GPS my dad had given me along with the 4Runner – which, I must say, is the coolest car ever. I followed the directions and got to this Zellers place without any trouble at all. "I love this GPS, I don't know how I ever got along without it."

Bella smirked. "So much for men having an innate sense of direction. It's funny how the male stereotype of never pulling over to ask for directions had manifested itself electronically. And it's downright ironic how the voice on the GPS is always female."

I just sat back and listened to Bella rant about the GPS. I love these little tangents she goes on about anything that crosses her mind – it's what makes her my Bella. We walked into the store and started browsing to find where our necessary items were located. Really, it wasn't any different than shopping in a Walmart or Target back in Washington; but, being in another country, even a neighboring one, made it feel like such a big deal. It felt like an adventure. And, I think many of the other patrons of the store could tell we were Americans, the way we looked around at everything with wonder in our eyes.

We got everything on the list we had made back at the apartment, but there was still room in our budget for some extraneous purchases. Bella got a new set of bed sheets – nice ones made out of Egyptian cotton or something. I, on the other hand, couldn't help but notice how our new place lacked a TV in the bedroom. Not that I imagined Bella and I would be doing much in the bedroom apart from having hot, newlywed sex, but it could be nice to cuddle up with a movie on the weekends. I managed to steer Bella over to the electronics department and found a nice little 19" LCD TV with a built-in DVD player. "Look love, we can afford that one."

She perused the price tag on the shelf. "Yeah, that's not bad. Plus, with the DVD player, we can go home and watch movies all night."

"Well," I said as I put the box on the bottom rack under the cart, "I was hoping we could do something else all night."

"Oh really, like what?" She asked, feigning innocence.

I put my arm around her waist and pulled her in close to me so I could whisper in her ear. "Like break in that bed, and those new bed sheets."

She pushed away slightly and gave me a smirk. "I'm pretty sure that bed has already been broken in, we're not the first people to live there."

"I meant broken in by us," I replied, pulling her back in and tightening my grip on her. "Think about it – you and me in our very first apartment together, no parents or Alice in the same house to overhear if things get too loud."

She looked down and a pretty blush spread across her face. "Um, sweetie, I don't think we can…get too loud tonight."

"Why not, afraid the neighbors might complain?" I joked. She didn't seem to find anything funny though. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Edward, I'm sorry, I didn't want to ruin our inaugural move-in, but…" her voice dropped so low it was barely audible, "Imonmyperiod."

"Huh? What did you say?" I tried to keep my voice down; she was obviously embarrassed about something.

"I'm…on…my…period," she whispered harshly.

"Oh, is that all, love?" I asked with a chuckle. "Geez, you're acting as if you haven't had a period this whole time we've been together."

"Yeah, but we don't usually talk about it," she replied, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. "Plus, I don't know, I just kind of felt bad because you're so excited about 'breaking in the bed.'"

I wrapped one arm around her while I pushed the cart with the other hand. "Love, I'm just excited to be alone with you. We'll give the bed a proper breaking in sometime next week."

"OK, enough talk about the bed," she said as we paid for our items. "Why don't we invite Alice and Jasper over for dinner?"

"Sure," I said as I handed the debit card to the cashier. "Give them a call."

**BPOV**

The first day of the semester at UBC was even more exciting than the first day of high school, middle school and elementary school combined. It was a big school, but not incredibly so, and everyone seemed so nice. I guess it's true what they say about Canadians being some of the friendliest people in the world. The best part was Alice and I had a history class together. I was so relived to have at least one class with my best friend before the courses for our respective majors sent us in different academic directions. Alice was going to be a psychology major, while I was hoping to get a sociology degree and eventually get my masters in social work.

After our class, we met Jasper and Edward at the dining hall for lunch. The boys were already in line, so I ran over and jumped into Edward's arms. "Hi Hubby, how's your day been?"

"Dreadful without you," Edward replied before placing a kiss on my lips and twirling me in circles. A girl behind us didn't seem to take kindly to mine and Alice's intrusion into the line.

"Hey," she said. "We've all been waiting here for a long time. Why don't you two just march right to the back of the line?"

"Because my husband was saving a place for me," I told her, showing my wedding ring for effect. She made a disgruntled sound and turned to talk to the girl behind her about how rude we were. I guess the Canadian hospitality only goes so far.

"Just ignore her," Alice said. "I mean come on, anyone who would wear tight, acid-washed jeans and then have the nerve to tuck them into god-awful cowboy boots just can't have any sort of common sense, now can she?"

The girl glared at Alice, who merely stared back with a smirk and a raised eyebrow – just daring her opponent to try and make a comeback. However, someone else decided to join in on the conversation, quite the uninvited guest at that.

"Same old Alice Cullen," it was James, emerging from somewhere a bit further down the line. He stood before us, his blond hair a bit longer than I was used to, and he was wearing some strange, tight jeans and a tight black shirt. I guess someone decided they'd get a makeover this past summer. He turned to me with a big grin. "Mrs. Cullen, it's nice to see you again."

Edward's arms tightened protectively – or was it possessively? Either way, I could practically feel his desire to rip James to shreds emanating from him. I put a calming hand on his chest and he broke his glare with James to look at me. "Hey, we're just going to ignore him like we said, right?"

He nodded. "Right, as far as we're concerned, he doesn't even go to school here."

James started laughing evilly. "Are you two for real? How immature can you get? 'As far as we're concerned, he doesn't even go to school here.' How lame!"

All four of us simply began talking about our classes and pretending he wasn't there. Unfortunately, James is a man who doesn't respond well to being ignored. "Hey Cullen! See you at football practice." Edward looked up at him with a deadly look in his eyes, but James had already turned and walked away. I looked up at Edward with a confused expression.

"He's on the team?" I asked a bit louder and whineier than I had intended.

"No," Edward said. "Not unless he's planning on trying to be a walk-on. I doubt he'd make it that way, though. All of the running backs here are way too good."

"Yeah," I replied, grabbing a tray, "But, wasn't he really good, too?"

"Not this good," Edward said as we started grabbing plates of food. "Don't worry, love, I don't think I'll have to worry about James being on the team this season."

**Or will he? Find out in the next chapter. Plus, Jessica and Jacob – has their relationship stood the test of time? Or, was it just a high school romance?**

**I hope you guys like this; I think it could turn out to be a really good one :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**For those of you who pointed out Bella and Edward were supposed to be staying with Charlie at the end of GOFP, good call. That was kind of an author fail on my part, but it's not that important to the story so I'll just ask you all to ignore my blunder.**

**And now, on with the show.**

**BPOV**

After all of my classes were finished on the first day of school, I ran across campus to the field where Edward would be having his very first practice as a Thunderbird. I sat on the grass next to some of the other players' girlfriends and watched excitedly as the boys trouped out of the locker rooms. As Edward ran across the field, I noticed how he looked so damn good in his practice uniform. It felt as if it had been an eternity since he last played football, and I almost forgot how amazing those tight pants fit on his rear end. Damnit! Why did it still have to be my time of the month?

I noticed a familiar head of long, blond hair out of the corner of my eye— it was Jessica. I grabbed my school bag and made my way over to her.

"Hey, stranger," I said as I sat next to her.

"Oh my God, hi Bella!" She squealed as she lunged over and hugged me. "I almost forgot you were going here, too. How are you?"

"I'm great," I said.

She took a hold of my left hand and stared at my ring adoringly. "How's Edward?"

"He's great, too," I told her, gently pulling my hand away and pointing him out on the field. "He's right over there."

"Wow," she said as she watched him warm up with the team. I suddenly got the urge to shake her out of whatever fantasy she was having about my husband when I remembered something.

"Hey! Where's Jacob?"

She looked down at her hands lying in her lap. "I don't know, and I don't care."

Oh no, he dumped her. Great, just when I thought my life was taking a turn for the euphoric, all of my worst fears were being realized—James was still his mean, old self; and Jacob had followed me to college sans girlfriend. To make matters worse, Jessica's former crush on Edward seemed to be rearing its ugly head again.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to take her mind off my husband's perfect ass.

"Well," she began huffily, "We went to Portland over the summer, just for a little weekend vacation, and afterward he just called me up and said he couldn't do it anymore. I was so confused, I mean I thought we were doing so well," she started sniffling and wiping her eyes. "He was the first guy I had ever slept with, and I'm pretty sure I was his first, too. It was almost as if he just wanted to sleep with me and then dump me."

This would have sounded rather convincing had Jessica not used this story before—or maybe it was just karma biting her in the ass for trying to use this lie against Edward two years ago. Either way, I tried to calm her down. "Shhhh, it's OK Jess, I'm sure he wasn't trying to use you. It was probably just him being foolish. Jacob's a nice guy, but he gets confused sometimes."

She shot me an angry look. "He's a jerk, and I hope I never see him again."

"Um, I don't know if that's going to be all that possible," I said as I saw that tall, dark figure walking in my direction. Jacob Black, in all his glory, was waltzing back into my life. This is going to be one hell of a first semester, I can feel it.

He stopped a few feet away, a smile plastered on his face. That is, until he saw who I was sitting next to. Jessica glared up at him and almost starting shaking with anger. It was one of the more tense moments I had experienced in a while. I just sat there hoping it wouldn't escalate into a fight. Luckily, Jessica jumped up without so much as a word to Jacob and stormed off. It's silly and juvenile, but a part of me was kind of hoping that was the last I'd see of Jessica. Not that I didn't like her anymore, but I could see she had become a bit like the old Jessica, the one who first encountered me in the pizza place back in Forks last year. And, the less people I have in my life causing drama, the better.

Jacob watched her walk away for a moment before plunking himself down next to me. Of course, he was going to pretend Jessica hadn't just told me about their break up. However, I wasn't even about to play that game.

"Why, Jake? Why did you just go and break up with her like that? I thought you really liked her."

He shrugged and I had to fight the urge to slap him in the face. "Just didn't feel anything for her anymore."

I crossed my arms over my chest and turned to give him my best withering stare down, which he met with a defensive pout.

"You don't know what she was like as a girlfriend," he explained. "She was an overbearing, controlling bitch. And, it got even worse after we slept together—that was the proverbial kiss of death! It was like someone flipped the crazy switch on in her brain after that. She was calling me almost every hour we were apart checking up on me. If I hadn't broken up with her, I was going to fling myself off a building."

I softened my expression and turned back to the action going on in the football practice. "I guess I can see Jessica being like that. She is rather intense."

"Intense...crazy...whatever," he said, shaking his head. "I'm looking at it this way—new school, new start. There are thousands of girls around here, and I'm going to find one who's not an unbalanced psycho."

"Well, good luck with that," I said. I resumed watching the practice, but I could feel him staring at me the whole time. I finally turned back. "What?"

"Just wondering how married life is treating you," he said.

I stared into his eyes skeptically, but he didn't seem to be harboring any ill will in his inquiry. "It's treating me fabulously. I haven't been this happy since before my mom died."

He nodded absentmindedly as he gazed at the players on the field. "He takes good care of you."

I wasn't sure if it was meant as a question or a statement, but I nodded in response. Edward caught a shotgun snap and found an open receiver with ease. I was in awe of how even here, at this accelerated level of play, Edward made everything look easy. Then my reverie was crushed as I saw a familiar figure walk onto the field. James was there, and the coach called for the offense to try and work him in. I wondered if this was just his tryout, or if the coach had decided to put him on the team already. Jacob was just as confused as me.

"James is playing? Huh, I thought he was going to give the sports thing a rest for a while."

"Did he say he was?" I asked, turning back to Jake.

He nodded. "I saw him after graduation, and he said he was going to just focus on school since he was on shaky academic ground to begin with. You know, he wasn't exactly the top of our class back in Forks." He grinned at me. "That was you, wasn't it?"

I smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I did OK in high school."

The practice went on for another hour before the coach called all the guys together to talk about the opening game in less than two weeks. I couldn't wait for that game; I was almost more excited about it than Edward. I wondered if they got as spirited about football here as we did back in Forks. The players began running back to the locker room, and I took that as my cue to stand up and wait for Edward just outside of the building. Jacob followed me over.

"So, I was wondering if you two wanted to grab dinner or something with me," he said.

"Um, I don't know," I replied hesitantly. "Let me ask Edward, OK?"

He sighed. "Always have to make sure things are OK with him, don't you?"

"He's my husband," I said. "I'd like to make sure he didn't have other plans, plus he may be tired from practice."

Just then, Edward walked out quickly with his bag full of football gear. He looked none too thrilled to see Jacob with me, but he politely greeted him anyway. "Hey Jake, how's it going?"

"Good man, how are things with you?"

"Fan-freakin'-tastic," Edward replied as he pulled me close to his side.

I slid my arm around Edward's waist and turned his attention to me. "Jake wanted to know if we wanted to go out to dinner."

"Oh, Jake's going to spring for dinner is he?" Edward asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice. "Well, if it's on Black's dime, I'd definitely love to get some grub."

I poked him in the ribs and whispered, "Be nice."

He gave me a wearied glance but turned to Jake with a sigh. "Yeah Jacob, we'd love to have dinner with you."

"Great," Jake said, he had a mischievous smile on his face. "Meet me in the dining hall at six."

Jacob walked away with a snicker, and I turned to Edward with a smirk. "Feeling a little bit silly now?"

Edward shrugged. "Not really, I didn't think he was actually going to take both you and I out to dinner, anyway." We walked back to the 4Runner and he loaded his bag into the back. "So, what happened with him and Jessica?"

I took a deep breath and dove into the story. "Jess said he just up and broke up with her for no good reason. He said she was a controlling bitch. Don't really know who to believe."

"I'd say it's a little from Column A, and a little from Column B," he said. "I wouldn't put it past either one of them to be crazy or cavalier about being in a relationship. It's probably best that they ended it before things got ugly."

"Seems to me things got pretty ugly regardless," I said as we pulled up to our apartment complex. Edward showered quickly, after I declined joining him stating we would never make it to dinner on time. The dining hall was fairly packed again. Alice and Jasper were already there, eating their dinner in an isolated corner of the hall. We waved to them and Alice strode over gracefully.

"Hey, you guys eating here tonight?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're eating with Jacob," I told her.

"Oh," she said with great surprise in her voice. "Well, come and sit with me and Jasper, we'll wait for you."

"OK," I said.

Jacob approached as we joined the line of students waiting to be served.

"Wow, you actually showed," Jake quipped. "Thought you'd just blow me off and eat at home."

"We thought about doing that," Edward replied. "But, hell, we've got meal plans, might as well use 'em."

The two of them stared at each other with disdain for a few seconds until I cleared my throat and stepped in between them. "No fighting, this is supposed to be a pleasant evening."

Edward slipped his hand into my right back pocket and kept me close to his side. I rested my head on his shoulder as the line moved forward. It seemed like it took an hour for us to get to the food, but I think that was because the conversation had come to a screeching halted. I got a plateful of Salisbury stake and macaroni and cheese before heading back to where Alice and Jasper were still sitting. They gazed at me with curiosity as I sat down.

"What's up with you guys hanging out with Jacob?" Alice asked as Edward and Jake started our way.

"He just wanted to have dinner with us," I said. "I mean, he probably doesn't know anyone else here yet. And his basketball season doesn't start for a couple of months, so I thought it would be nice for him to not be so alone."

Jasper snickered humorlessly and shook his head. "He's a manipulator Bella, watch out."

I shot Jas a dirty look as Edward and Jacob sat with us. Edward put his left arm around my waist and managed to handle his food rather efficiently one-handed. Of course, he's had a lot of practice as this seems to be his favorite eating position. Alice sat on the other side of me and starting in with the questions for Jake. "So, how are you liking UBC?"

"It's nice," he said with a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "I like the campus, and the classes aren't as difficult as I thought they'd be."

"Well, gen. ed. is never that difficult," Alice said, I elbowed her slightly for sounding condescending.

Jacob didn't seem to notice her conceit, however. He shrugged and continued. "I was never a very good student. I just thought this was going to be a lot harder than it was, and it's kind of simple, actually."

After a long first day, I think we were all pretty hungry as we dug into our dinners without any further discussion. The food was not really all that great, but it sated my appetite at least. I did save room for dessert, because the station with frozen yogurt and cookies looked too good to pass up. I took two chocolate chip cookies and placed them in a little bowl before filling the rest of the space up with vanilla frozen yogurt and then topped it all off with some rainbow sprinkles. Edward laughed at my little treat when I sat back down.

"Aw, did Bells need some pretty sprinkles?" He whispered as he nuzzled my ear with his nose.

"Yep," I replied as I started dipping pieces of cookie into the yogurt in lieu of using a spoon.

"Wow Bells, I didn't know you like junk food so much," Jacob said. "You're not pregnant yet, are you?"

Everyone at the table dropped what they were doing and glared at Jake. Edward tilted his head slightly as gave Jacob a menacing look. "Even if she was, what business is that of yours?"

"It's not," Jacob countered, unfazed by Edward's anger. "I was just curious, I heard women get weird cravings when they're pregnant."

"I'm not, Jake," I said as I pushed my dessert aside, not really hungry anymore. "And thanks for ruining my appetite."

"Jesus, when did everyone get so touchy?" Jake asked. "And why did my question make you lose your appetite."

"I think it's your overall demeanor," Edward replied. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you still have feelings for my wife and honestly still think you've got a shot with her."

This finally stoked Jacob's ire. "I'm not delusional, Cullen. I'm not going to go after a married woman."

"Then why don't you do yourself a favor and leave us alone then, completely?" Edward suggested. "If you seriously don't harbor any feelings for Bella, than just use this opportunity in a new city – in a new country – to stay the hell away from her and get your own life."

"I have my own life," Jake spat back. "And why can't I be friends with Bella still, hm? We've been friends for a while, and I've known her just as long as you have. What, are you threatened by me?"

"You wish," Edward said quietly. "I'm her husband, and there's no question in my mind that she loves me more than anything in this world." He turned and gazed at me lovingly before he returned his gaze to Jacob. "The problem here is a guy who thinks he can still be more than a friend to her. You look pathetic, Jacob. Why don't you do yourself a favor and leave us alone?"

That was all it took to prompt Jacob to stand up and leave without another word. I gazed up at Edward as if to silently ask if that whole scene was really necessary, and he understood my expression completely.

"Yes love, it is better this way," he said. "It's just the kind of push he needs. Remember, tough love and all that."

Edward was right. Jacob is not going to simply give up if I continue to string him along as a friend. I turned to finish my dessert and found it in the hands of Jasper, his mouth covered in vanilla frozen yogurt.

"What? You said you weren't hungry anymore!"

Edward and I laughed as Alice reached across the table and smacked Jasper in the head. I really hope Jacob finds some friends soon, I don't know what I'd do without mine.

**EPOV**

It was amazing how the first week of school flew by. I was just so consumed by every new thing going on in my life—school, football, being on my own with my wife for the first time. I was so consumed, in fact, that I almost forgot Saturday was Bella's 19th birthday. It kind of made me feel like a failure as a husband.

"Oh Bells, I'm so sorry," I told her on Friday after practice. "Tomorrow's your birthday! I completely forgot!"

She stopped as she was about to put a handful of spaghetti into a boiling pot of water. "Oh my God! It is? I forgot, too!"

Most of my previous guilt vanished as she turned from the stove in shock. "How could I forget my own birthday?"

"We've been busy," I said as I put my hands on her hips and pulled her close to me. "So, how are we going to celebrate? Do you want to invite Alice and Jasper over for dinner? Or, better yet, how about I take us all out on the town? We're all old enough to drink here, now. Let's give you your first hangover!"

She laughed and threw her arms around my neck. "I don't know if I want to get too drunk. I mean, after dinner I'd like to get a nice little present from my husband...in bed."

"Actually, I'm going to give you your present tonight," I told her as I grabbed her ass and lifted her up so our pelvises pressed tight against each other. She wrapped her legs around me and devoured my mouth with her own. Unfortunately, she broke the kiss and dropped her legs after a bit of snogging.

"We at least have to finish dinner," she said quietly. "Wouldn't want all this food to go to waste."

"Nope, wouldn't want that," I said as I stood behind her, still keeping a hold on her hips. Luckily, we were just making a simple spaghetti with marinara and sausage. It didn't take long to make, and even less time to eat. That may have had a lot to do with our impatience to get to the bedroom, though.

After we were finished, Bella took our plates and set them in the sink. As soon as I heard the 'tink' of the ceramic plates hitting the metal sink, I scooped my wife up into my arms and ran to the bedroom. I set her down on the bed and bent down to pull her shoes off. She reached for her sweater, pulled it over her head and then went for her T-shirt, but I stopped her hands. "Nope, part of my present is undressing you myself."

I trailed my fingertips up and down her arms, across her hands and then reached slowly for the hem of her shirt. She closed her eyes and sucked in a quick breath as my fingers brushed across the skin of her stomach. I raised her shirt up slowly, kissing every inch of her bare torso as it was exposed to me. Bella lifted her arms above her head as I moved to remove the shirt completely; I threw it to the side before turning back to remove her jeans.

I took my sweet, precious time removing every piece of clothing, until I had Bella completely naked. Her chest rose and fell steadily and she gazed at me under hooded eyelids. With one hand behind her upper back and the other under her knees, I carried her until she was nestled in the middle of the bed. I was suddenly so glad she decided to get these new sheets; they were almost as soft as her lovely skin. Bella's eyes followed me as I stalked to the end of the bed and started removing my own clothing. I peeled my shirt off, reveling in the way she bit her lip as she stared at my chest. My new coach had demanded I gain twenty pounds of muscle over the summer, impressing my wife with my new physique was one of the benefits of all the work I had done in the weight room. She writhed slowly on the bed, licking her lips and moaning softly as I stripped the layers of my clothing away.

When I was finished undressing, I crawled onto the bed and edged my way up to where my wife lay. She was already panting with need, but I wasn't going to make this a quick roll in the sack. I started placing light kisses all over her face and then took my ministrations southward, hitting all of the spots I knew drove her crazy – behind her right ear, along her collarbone, in between her breasts. I brushed my face, with my week-old stubble, gently over her left breast before latching onto the nipple and sucking hungrily at it. This action caused her to spread her legs wide and start moving her body against mine.

"Edward," she whispered as she ran her fingers through my hair. "Make love to me, please."

"Patience," I replied before trailing my tongue across her chest and turning my attention to her right breast. Her moaning became louder and her writhing more aggressive as my right hand ghosted across her hip to find the center of all her pleasure. One finger slid gently between her folds and her hips bucked upwards towards my hand. That finger was joined by another one and I began pumping both in and out of her at a steady pace. As that pace quickened, her hands left my hair to scratch their way down my shoulders wildly.

"Edward," she said, this time she almost sounded angry. "Damnit, I want you to make love to me, now!"

I lifted my head so my eyes could meet hers, and she glared back wantonly. She lifted herself up from the bed slightly and her hand found its way to my shaft. She started guiding me towards her entrance impatiently. I positioned myself at the very core of her and plunged into her depths briskly. But I waited for a moment, reveling in the feel of her warmth surrounding me, a feeling I know I could never get enough of. She moved first, her fingers digging into my hips as she pumped her pelvis up towards mine. I placed my hands on either side of her head and worked myself up to a fast, almost violent pace. I didn't necessarily want to have this kind of sex tonight, I wanted it to be a bit gentler. But, this was apparently what Bella wanted, and I wasn't about to argue. Though, this kind of love-making always brings out the more primal side of me, and I usually end up grunting and pounding into Bella as though I was some kind of pig rutting around in the mud.

Maybe that's why she likes it so much, who knows? Her moans had turned into cries of ecstasy as her climax began building inside of her. As her walls started to clench and spasm all around me, I grunted and thrust a few more times before I found my own release.

I lowered myself down to my elbows, but remained hovering over her still buried deep inside. She rubbed her hands up and down my back and sighed contentedly. "That was the best birthday present ever, Edward. I love you so much."

"I love you more," I told her as I lowered my head to kiss her. I rolled us over onto our sides and she snuggled into my chest tightly. I rested my chin on top of her head and we lay there for a moment, just enjoying the afterglow of my gift to her. The woman I married is pretty easy to please, but that just makes me want to put up twice the effort to do so. After a few more minutes, Bella stirred and started kissing her way up my chest. Before I knew it, she had pushed me on my back and straddled my hips.

"My turn to be on top," she said.

**OK, what do you guys think so far? Let me know, because there's no better way to get a writer motivated to update quickly than a mailbox full of reviews (good or bad).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the responses guys, and I just wanted to say how excited I am to be writing this story. The comments you all leave give me so many ideas for the direction of the plot, and I think there's great potential for so many story arcs like meeting new people, sampling the various "experiences" that come with college, and developing relationships.**

**Also, I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but I was on vacation this past week. I visited friends in New Jersey and New York. It was a much needed break from my hectic work schedule.**

**EPOV**

These football practices were really something – about ten times more intense than high school. And Canadian football is slightly different from the American version, there are more men on each side and a longer field. We ran much longer distances for much longer periods of time and it seemed even more imperative than ever to be at the front of the line, lest they suspect me of slacking off. James was there, but only as a fourth-string running back. So, being the back-up quarterback, I never really interact with him. That certainly made practices much more enjoyable. He was usually with all the younger guys and the players who came out for the team every year but never made a starting spot. In Forks, we usually referred to this as the Dummy Squad – even though I know how mean that can sound.

And then there was that wonderful little woman waiting at home for me. I guess that sounded a tad chauvinistic, but you know what I mean – after a hard day's work, it felt good to get back to the apartment and know my wife was there to make me smile.

Collectively, our homework was not so tedious that it required a great deal of time. We were both usually done with our studies and making dinner by about 6:30 every night. Then we ate, watched some TV and made love until we were both ready for sleep. It was just how I'd pictured married life, but so much better. It was like we were meant to be together and fell into step with one another without any real difficulty.

The first football game of the year did turn out to be quite the affair. There was a little pep rally in the student center where fans showed up with their faces painted in gold and blue, holding up banners and waving pom pons. A part of me wished Bella was among the cheerleaders assembled there, but that's not a part of who she is anymore.

She was still there, though, in the crowd with Alice and Jasper. They stood just in front of the stage where the starters and back-ups had gathered to pump up the crowd. I stood between Jeff, one of the running backs, and Doug, a safety, and cheered when prompted by the coach.

"Are we gonna beat Clan tonight?!" Coach McKraig asked.

"YEAH!!!!" The fans and players screamed. We were instructed to meet at the field at 5:30, so I had an hour-and-a-half to be with Bella before I suited up. The two of us roamed around the campus for a little bit, just holding hands and talking. Alice and Jasper found us after awhile. It was a bit of an annoyance, but at least I know I'll have Bella all to myself tonight after the game. We all sat on the lawn in front of the student center and talked until I checked my watch and saw I had to head over to the stadium.

"I'll see you in a few hours," I said as I kissed Bella goodbye. "I love you."

"I love you more," she said.

**BPOV**

It was so exciting to finally get to watch Edward play from the stands instead of having my back to the field in front of a crowd, trying to get people to cheer. Alice, Jasper and I got some popcorn, hotdogs, sodas and Twizzlers before finding some seats. The first half went well, the Thunderbirds scored three touchdowns and left the other team scoreless – but Edward didn't play. It wasn't until the second half that Edward ran out onto the field and finally got to show what he was capable of. And boy did he ever – he threw for two additional touchdowns and ran the last one in on his own. I almost lost my voice from cheering for my amazing husband.

As the clock ran out, I hurried onto the field and made my way to Edward who was in the huddle with his teammates. As soon as they gave one last cheer and went their separate ways, I leapt into Edward's arms and planted kisses all over his face.

"Oh my God, Edward, that was amazing! You were so great!!"

"I was pretty good," he agreed as he led me to the locker rooms. "At least I'm over this first game hump; next one should be even better."

"I don't know how it could get any better, you were unbelievable! You were like Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb all rolled up into one!"

He laughed. "You're just naming all the quarterbacks you know, aren't you?"

"Doesn't mean it's not true," I replied. Suddenly, a large man came out of nowhere and clapped a hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Cullen, nice work out there. Man, we're going to be set for the next couple of seasons with you here."

"Thanks Jeff," Edward replied. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Bella. Bells, this is Jeff Smith, one of the running backs on the team."

"Bella, it's nice to meet you," Jeff said as he shook my hand. "Must be really proud of your man tonight."

"Nice to meet you too, Jeff," I said. "And, I'm always proud of Edward, but especially tonight."

"So, you two coming out to Cardero's tonight?" Jeff asked. "That's where the team and some of the fans go after games to celebrate…or drown our sorrows in beer post-loss."

"Oh, well…" I began.

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Edward said, cutting me off. "We'll see you there in a bit."

As Jeff walked away I turned to Edward with a confused expression. "Um, I thought we were going to spend tonight alone."

"We won't be long," Edward said. "I just don't want to be the square peg on the team, and hanging out with the guys is a big part of that. Just a couple drinks and then we go home, OK?"

"OK," I agreed. "But tomorrow, I have you all to myself, right?"

"Oh, there's no question about that, Mrs. Cullen."

Cardero's was your typical restaurant and pub, filled with what seemed to be at least one-third of the UBC student population. Edward grasped my hand as we walked through the door, and I had every intention of keeping a hold of him for the duration of our time here amongst our peers. This resolve was solidified by the amount of girls who were hanging around attempting to get closer to the players. We sat down at a table with Alice and Jasper and ordered a round of beers. This was something I was going to have to get used to; I'd never really had a great deal of alcohol before I came to Vancouver, just a sip of wine or champagne on special occasions, so sitting down at a restaurant and ordering any drink I wanted was quite the new experience. I wondered what my dad would think if he saw me drinking a pint in public – legally!

"I'm hungry, let's get some appetizers," Alice said as she grabbed a menu from the middle of the table. "What do you say, Bella? Want some mozzarella sticks or buffalo wings?"

"How about both?" I suggested, turning to Edward. "Do you want something? You must be hungry after being Mr. All-star Athlete!"

"I could eat," he replied with a smirk.

"I want an order of fries," Jasper said before excusing himself to the bathroom.

We placed our order with the waitress and sat back to view the chaos ensuing all around us. UBC students occupied almost every table in the restaurant and took up every seat around the bar, with a few people lingering and hovering from group to group. One person who could have never got lost in this crowd in a million years was Jacob, who made his way over to our table through the throngs of co-eds.

"Hey guys," he said cordially. Alice and Edward nodded brusquely in his direction, I smiled and said hello. "Don't want to disturb you too much," he continued. "I just wanted to congratulate you on a good game, Edward."

Jacob patted Edward firmly on the shoulder before heading back in the direction he came from. As soon as he was out of sight, Edward shot me a slightly amazed expression. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know," I replied with a shrug, "guess he just wants to be nice."

Alice rolled her eyes and took as sip of beer as Jasper rejoined the group. As soon as he sat down, however, Alice shot up suddenly. "Damn, I really have to pee now, too." She kept her head down and hustled through the crowd quickly. I debated following her when I spied a gaggle of girls seated near the bar staring at Edward. They kept pointing in his direction and giggling amongst themselves in a manner that made me want to get very unladylike with them. All blonds, too – how ridiculously cliché.

Jeff wandered over to our table. "Having fun, guys?"

"Yeah, this is really great, man," Edward replied.

"Cool," Jeff said. "So, who's up for shots?"

"Oh, I don't know," I said. "I've never really had a shot before."

"All the more reason to do it," Jeff said putting his hands on mine and Edward's shoulders.

I looked to Edward and his eyes pleaded with me to play along. I reluctantly stood up and followed the boys to the bar. Some of the other players were already there, miles ahead of us all in the shots department. One of the guys chivalrously gave up his seat for me and the bartender came over and eyed us warily. "What'll it be, guys?"

"Well, we've got a shots virgin on our hands here," Jeff said, motioning to me. "So, how about something easy to start? How about just some vodka shots?"

I shrugged and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"How many?" The bartender asked.

"Um…eight," Jeff said after counting the number of people in our vicinity.

The bartender nodded once and grabbed a bottle of clear liquid from his line of liquors. After placing eight shot glasses on the bar, he filled them with the vodka and pushed the tiny cups out towards us. "That'll be $32."

Jeff pulled some money out of his wallet and slapped it on the bar. "Keep the change."

I stared at the little glass positioned in front of me. I've always heard vodka, if it's good quality, doesn't have much smell or taste to it. So, following that rationale, this shot shouldn't be all that difficult to manage, right? I lifted the glass and turned to see Edward, Jasper and Jeff staring at me expectantly.

"Ready?" Edward asked. I nodded and we all tapped the shots against each other before downing the drink. My inexperience in this area of college life was evident right off the bat as I poured the drink down my throat slowly instead of in one quick gulp like my fellow imbibers. And, while I was right about it not tasting like much, I didn't take into account the burn. Oh my God, did that drink make its presence known as it flowed slowly down my esophagus, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Tears filled my eyes and I winced as I set the shot glass back on the bar.

"That was awful," I said. The boys laughed at my pained expression. Jeff put a giant hand on my shoulder soothingly.

"Maybe vodka's not your drink," he said. "How about we try something else? I like jäger, maybe you will too."

I was about to refuse when I remembered this night was all about bonding with Edward's teammates. "Sure, just one more shot couldn't hurt, right?"

Jeff ordered up four shots this time, and I braced myself better for the onslaught of alcohol sting. My hand was quicker this time around, and the dark brown booze flowed quickly past my throat. It was strangely pleasant, even though it tasted like black licorice. And, I didn't make a face this time. Edward stepped over and put his arms around my neck. He kissed my lips once and pulled away with a big smile. "Thanks for being a good sport, love."

"I'll do anything for my man," I replied.

Alice sauntered over with a frustrated look on her face. "What the hell? I leave for two minutes and you guys are over here taking shots without me?"

"Sorry, babe," Jasper said. "What do you want to drink?"

While Jasper attempted to placate Alice with a shot of whisky, I excused myself to the bathroom. It wasn't easy to finding this crowd, especially considering my head was beginning to feel like it was in a fishbowl. I decided to get a glass of water when I got back to the bar to sober up a bit. In the bathroom, I sat in a stall for just a moment before I heard the sound of stiletto heels clicking annoyingly against the tile floor. High pitched, nasal voices belonging to what had to be some heinous breed of sorority chick filled the air.

"God, I thought that slut would never leave him alone," one voice said. "Maybe now he can finally concentrate on buying me drinks."

"I know," someone else agreed. "How pathetic can you get to hang all over the new star quarterback like that?"

I was about halfway through pulling my jeans back up as I realized these girls must have been the blonds staring at Edward. The next observation confirmed this.

"Oh my God, you guys, what if she's like some little high school girlfriend who followed Edward to college? Wouldn't that just be too lame for words?"

After making sure my pants were fully zipped and buttoned, I pushed the door open and stepped up to the floosies. "Wife, actually. I'm Edward's wife, not his girlfriend." The three girls stared at me, jaws agape, as I washed my hands calmly before reaching for a paper towel. "And no, my husband will not be buying any of you cunts drinks tonight, understand?"

I strutted back to the table, proud I had stood my ground without throwing a punch at any of those girls. Our food had been sitting there for a while, but the taste of mozzarella sticks was still delicious and comforting. Alice and I consumed most of the food while Jasper and Edward continued to mingle with the team. Over the next hour, I drank a couple glasses of water and was ready to drive Edward home, as he had become not just a little bit tipsy.

He threw his arms around me as I helped him into our apartment. Edward surprised me with how overtly affectionate he was when he was drunk. I tried to help him get undressed for bed, which provided ample opportunity for him to grope me and tug at my clothing.

"You need to get undressed, too," he slurred salaciously. Edward grabbed the front of my jeans and yanked the button open. He had my pants down to my knees before I knew it and I had to push his hands away to scold him.

"Edward, you're drunk," I said with a gentle firmness. "Just lie down and I'll go get you some water, OK?"

"Noooo," he whined, doing his best impression of a four-year-old. "No water! I want some Bella!"

"Ohh, no way in hell, Mr. Cullen," I replied as I managed to wrestle him down and tuck him under the covers. "No sex for you tonight. And, if you can't control yourself, I'll just have to go sleep on the couch."

He stuck out his bottom lip and turned away from me. "You're mean."

Sighing heavily, I walked to the kitchen and poured a glass of water for my inebriated hubby. I grabbed a few aspirin just to be on the safe side. When I returned, he was already asleep, so I set everything down on his bedside table and got ready for bed.

Yep, this drinking thing is really going to take some getting used to.

**EPOV**

Damnit! I got wasted and acted like an asshole last night, after Bella had been so good about letting me have drinks with my teammates. My head was throbbing like I had been hit repeatedly by one of my 300-pound linemen. In fact, it felt like my center Benny was sitting on my head. It was 11 a.m. by the time I felt capable of fully opening my eyes. Of course, Bella was already up and about. She left me a glass of water and some Ibuprofen. My guilt factor went from bad to worse.

"Hey baby, you up yet?" She called softly from the kitchen.

"Yeah," I said, immediately regretting raising my voice to such a high decibel level.

"Do you think you could eat something, or are you feeling sick?"

I slowly sat up to fully gauge the magnitude of this hangover. It wasn't too bad, and I didn't have any stomach problems; so I got up, took the aspirin sitting on the bedside table, and walked out to face my wife. I knew I had a lot to apologize for, but she acted as if nothing had happened last night. She just gave me a big hug and kiss like she does every morning.

"Sorry about last night," I said as she made my favorite: scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese in them.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Edward," she said.

"Just let me apologize, please? I got too drunk and acted like an ass, and I know I asked you for sex last night in the middle of my drunken stupor."

"You did," she replied with a wry smile. "But you were drunk, and I didn't really think anything of it."

"I'm sorry just the same," I said as I kissed the side of her neck. "And, if it's any consolation, I have one splitting headache this morning."

"Aw, poor baby," she cooed as she ignored her cooking for a moment to turn and kiss my forehead. "Drink some tomato juice, I hear that's supposed to help a hangover."  
I opened the fridge and found a bottle of V8 sitting in one of the side shelves. As I poured myself a glass, Bella continued to move about the kitchen making breakfast. She sliced up pieces of fruit like cantaloupe and strawberries, and buttered whole wheat toast that popped up out of the toaster and made the apartment smell wonderful.

"What's with all this healthy food?" I asked as I stole a strawberry from her cutting board. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble, Bells, we could have just had Pop-tarts or frozen waffles."

"I get tired of that stuff," she replied as she spooned the eggs out onto two plates. "Sometimes I want a real breakfast. And besides, I don't want to gain the freshman 15."

I shook my head and just smiled as I helped her carry the food to the table. With the amount of time she and Alice spent at the campus gym, she wasn't in any danger of gaining weight. Still, after hearing that married women usually put on a few pounds in their first year of marriage, and coupling that with being a freshman in college, Bella was worried about being doubly at risk. I told her she was worrying needlessly.

"Still, I'm not taking any chances," she would say.

After breakfast, I was feeling almost like myself again so I joined Bella in the shower and really got around to giving her a proper apology. Our tiny shower didn't make impromptu sex very easy, but at least there was a little hand rail on one of the walls Bella could hold on to, stabilizing us as I grasped her smooth, silky thighs and pounded into her thoroughly. Once we were both dry, Bella suggested we stay in bed all day and watch movies—the best idea I've heard in a long while.

"Let's go to the video store and see what they have to rent," she said as she slipped into her UBC sweatpants.

"I thought we were staying in," I whined as I flopped myself down on the bed in protest.

"Yeah, but I'm tired of all our movies, and I don't want to watch TV. So we'll need some other form of stimuli."

"Fine," I replied, my voice muffled by the comforter. I reluctantly got dressed and drove us to the place where we'd become accustomed to renting DVDs. Afterward, we made a quick trip to the grocery store for some popcorn and ice cream.

"So much for healthy eating," I teased as Bella grabbed a pint of Ben and Jerry's cake batter ice cream.

"Everything in moderation," she replied, sticking her tongue out at me.

We pulled back up to the apartment to find Alice sitting by the front door waiting for us.

"Al, what's wrong?" Bella asked.

"I need to talk to you," my sister replied, indicating she didn't want me to hear what was bothering her.

"I'll go put the food in the kitchen," I said as I kissed Bella softly on the cheek and entered the apartment. My sister isn't the type to keep secrets from me, so I assumed this was some problem with Jasper. The two of them have been together almost as long as Bella and I have, but their relationship has been much more tumultuous. But, every time Jasper did something stupid or thoughtless, Bella reminded Alice how much Jas really loved her and all was right with the world again—at least until the next incident reared its ugly head.

**BPOV**

Alice took me by the elbow and pulled me out to the parking lot. We sat on the curb and she seemed at a loss for words to explain what was wrong this time. I decided to try and prod her into spilling. "What did Jas do now?"

Still she remained silent. Now I was really worried.

"Alice, what's the matter? Did you guys have a fight? Was it something that happened at the bar last night? Is he cheating on you? Tell me, please!" I grasped her shoulders and shook her lightly, but she continued to stare off into the distance.

After another full five minutes of this stoic behavior, she finally spoke. "It's not something that he did, it's something that we did."

"What?"

"I...I haven't had a period in two months," she said, pulling something eerily familiar out of her pocket. "I thought it was just my body being irregular or something, but I wanted to make sure and..." she handed me the pregnancy test—it was positive.

"This could be a mistake," I said quickly, setting the stick down and retaining my hold on Alice's shoulders. "Those tests aren't one-hundred percent accurate, you know that."

"Yeah, but they're right more often than not," she replied, refusing to meet my eyes. "What am I going to do, Bella? I'm not ready to have a baby yet, I'm only 19!"

"Look, you need to go see a doctor and make sure this test is being accurate," I said, not wanting my best friend to make any rash decisions in her fragile state. "Then, if it's true, you and Jasper need to discuss options. You could give the baby up for adoption, or..." I didn't want to go any further, especially not when Alice shot me a look of warning.

"No! Abortion is not an option," she said.

"What did Jas say when you told him?"

"I haven't yet," she admitted. "I need to wrap my head around this first."

I pulled her close and let her warp her arms around me, my head resting on top of hers. "Go back and talk to Jasper. Let him know everything that's going on; it's his baby, too. That is, if there even is a baby."

"I think there is, Bells," she replied. "I've been so moody and difficult lately, plus I've either been sick as a dog or eating like truck driver. I think this is for real."

I pulled away slightly and planted a small kiss on her forehead before we got up, hugged and said our goodbyes. It was too weird to imagine—Alice pregnant. She doesn't even like kids all that much. Maybe it was some kind of tragic karma. No, I couldn't think that way about my friend; she didn't deserve being saddled with a baby at 19, especially as an unmarried mother.

Walking back into the apartment, I debated whether I should tell Edward or let him hear it from Alice when she was ready to say something. But, he's my husband, and I don't like keeping things from him. He was sitting in the living room watching hockey when I closed the front door behind me.

"What's wrong?" He asked, immediately turning off the TV.

"Alice thinks she's pregnant," I said. "She took a test this morning and it came out positive."

"Oh my God, what did Jasper say?"

"She's going to tell him right now, hopefully," I replied. "For the moment she's just wondering what she's going to do if this test turns out to be accurate."

"Aren't they always?" Edward asked as I removed my sweatshirt and sat on the couch beside him.

"Nope, they can be wrong. Not often, but it's been known to happen."

"Damn, this sucks."

I couldn't have said it any better myself. We got back to the plans we had originally set, but with a more somber tone to the day. Lying in bed, watching one inane movie after another, we didn't talk much. It now seemed there was a 900-pound elephant in the room. We've never really discussed children, because I thought it was assumed between the two of us that we should wait until after college when we are more settled into our lives. But this whole Alice pregnancy thing was putting the topic back up for discussion; a discussion neither one of us wanted to have right now. So, it was just hanging there above our heads, taunting us.

Couldn't I just be married and enjoy my alone time with my husband for a few years? Did babies and such have to happen right away? Certainly there was no pressure from our parents; Dad, Esme and Carlisle were all in agreement we should wait. It was just that traditional notion of a husband, a wife and a couple rug rats running around the house that refused to vacate my psyche. I do want kids, and making some sort of time frame to have them sounds so cold and inhumane – as though I'm trying to schedule them into my life like a salon appointment or something. Having kids when the time feels right seemed like a more natural course of action.

But, being a mom so young? That hardly seemed to work out in any positive way.

We're going to have to have this conversation, Edward and I. When, however, is another question altogether.


	4. Chapter 4

**Remember guys, read and review – you need to feed my little writer ego for the story to continue. (Actually, I'll write this story regardless. It's just nice to get feedback)**

**BPOV**

The Monday after Alice broke the news, she made an appointment with a local OB-GYN. And, of course, I had to accompany her to the doctor's office. She picked me up in Jasper's car after we were finished with classes, and we drove in silence. I could tell she was beyond nervous, and I was still thinking of how to breach the subject of Jasper's reaction. Judging by how she didn't bring the subject up herself, I had a feeling he didn't take it very well. In the waiting room, I decided to just dive right into the conversation.

"Did you talk to Jasper?"

"Of course," she replied in a harsh whisper.

"And? What did he say?"

She suddenly became very interested in the patterns of the tile floor. Oh no, she was getting off that easily.

"Mary Alice Cullen, don't you dare ignore your best friend!" All eyes in the waiting room turned to us, and Alice turned bright red.

"Bells, please keep your voice down," she seethed through her teeth.

"Then tell me what happened," I told her. "Did Jasper not take it well? Did you two have a fight?"

"It's not that he didn't take it well, he reacted the way you'd expect a 19-year-old male to react," she said.

"Then why are you upset?"

She huffed slightly and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's just…he said I should honestly consider the…other option."

I gasped and everyone turned towards us again. Once their attentions were otherwise occupied, I took Alice by the elbow and dragged her out into the hallway.

"Abortion? Jasper said if you're pregnant, he wants you to get an abortion?"

"Not that he wants me to," she retorted, "Just that I should seriously think about it."

"What did you say?" I asked. "You told me abortion is not an option."

"It's not, but I think Jasper and I should talk about it again once we've both managed to calm down and think rationally."

Still skeptical, I led the way back into the waiting room just in time for the receptionist to call Alice's name. "Do you want me to go in with you?" I asked.

"Yeah," her whisper was barely audible. Her nerves must be getting the better of her again.

Alice went to the bathroom to give a urine sample and change into a hospital gown while I waited in the examination room with the stack of parenting magazines silently taunting me. My curiosity finally became too much, and I grabbed one of the glossy periodicals and perused the pages. There were articles about the benefits of breastfeeding and photo after photo of happy, smiling babies. It elicited a strange feeling from deep within me – was that wanting? No, I told myself, it was mere fascination. What must it feel like to be happy and secure enough in your life and your marriage that you're ready for a baby? I wonder when I'll be to that point.

I had just set the magazine back with the rest of the stack when Alice walked in, trying in vain to keep the gown closed behind her with one hand while her street clothes were held in her other. She caught me with my hand figuratively in the cookie jar. "What were you reading?"

"Just a parenting magazine," I said, trying not to sound sheepish. Why should I? I was going to be an aunt soon, so I should learn a thing or two about child care, right? Then why do I feel so strange? I can't explain this feeling – guilt mixed with…something else…it almost felt like envy. No, it couldn't be. Who do I have to be envious of? I looked up as Alice sat back on the examination table. She looked downright terrified. Nope, I'm definitely not envious of her…am I?

The doctor entered then, interrupting my inner debate.

"Hello Alice, I'm Dr. Brown," she said. "So, your pregnancy test should be finished in just a few minutes. The nurse will let us know when the results are in." As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. "Oh, that must be Faith now."

Dr. Brown opened the door and took the clipboard handed to her by the nurse – a young woman with a sweet, round face and short, brown hair. After looking over the results, the doctor looked up with a tight smile. "Well, Miss Cullen, it seems you are, indeed, pregnant." Alice let out a long, hissing breath that seemed to have an air of resignation. She knew it was true; she just needed to hear it from a professional.

"Well," Dr. Brown began, "Let's get you checked out, shall we?"

**APOV**

That horrible, horrible word: Pregnant! I'm really and truly pregnant! At only 19 years old! What have I become, some white trash, welfare case who lets her skeevy boyfriend knock her up? No Alice, that's not fair. It's not only Jasper's fault. The fault lies with both of us. I just wanted something, some scapegoat I could blame for all of this.

Dr. Brown took down all of my info – family medical history, date of last period and so on. Then she gave me a pelvic exam, while Bella occupied herself by reading another parenting magazine. I was getting this weird vibe from Bella, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. She seemed upset – maybe even jealous. Was she envious that I got pregnant before she did? She, the happily married woman, would become a mother after me, the single sister-in-law. No, Bella's not that petty.

After the highly invasive and oh-so uncomfortable examination, the doctor left the room so I could change clothes and we could discuss the pregnancy in greater detail. And yet, I'm not sure I want to know any further details—aside from when am I gonna get this thing out of me? In the back of my mind, I already had decided I should just put the baby up for adoption. Hell, even its father was completely disinterested in raising it, so why not give it to some childless couple who would love it unconditionally?

Kind of like Juno, only I hope I can find a less dysfunctional couple than the Lorings.

Dr. Brown sat us down in her office and told me I was about two months along, and the baby would be due next April. I thought about this time frame she set before me and figured I must have gotten impregnated around the end of July. And then it hit me—Jasper and I had his house all to ourselves when his parents went on vacation to Palm Springs. He declined their offer to join them, saying he wanted to get some reading done before the school year began.

Well, he got something done, but it wasn't reading. And now I was going to have swollen ankles and a big, fat stomach as a result. And what did he have to show for it? Nothing. Damn, sometimes I wish I was a guy.

I drove Bella back to her apartment. In the parking lot, we just sat there, neither one knowing what to say.

"Do you want to come in for a while?" She asked. "We could just sit and watch TV."

"I have homework," I told her. "I should just go back to the dorms."

"OK, call me if you need anything," she said as she gave me a quick hug and jumped out of the car. Sure, I'll call her. But, really, how can she help me? I walked glumly through the halls of my dorm building until I reached my room. My roommate, Tanya, was sitting on her bed going over calculus with a friend of hers. She gave me a quick nod in hello before I flopped myself down on my bed with a heavy sigh. Reluctantly, I pulled my anthropology book out of my bag and started reading the chapters for tomorrow. Even with my mind occupied, I managed to finish the reading in record time. And, just as I set the book aside, my phone rang. I didn't even have to look, it was Jasper's ringtone.

"Hello," I said with little enthusiasm.

"Hey, what did the doctor say?" He didn't seem too thrilled to be having this conversation, either.

I looked up to my roommate and her friend still studying next to me and decided to not have this conversation over the phone. After all, it was five o'clock already, why not discuss this over dinner? "Meet me in the dining hall in five minutes."

"No," he said quickly, "I don't want to talk about it in front of a dining hall full of students. Why don't we go to a restaurant somewhere?"

"Alright," I replied as I stepped out of the room with my purse in hand. "Meet me down stairs and we'll go to the Old Spaghetti Factory."

"OK," he said before hanging up. He looked tired and disheveled as he met me in the dorm lobby. Clad in ratty old jeans and a tattered sweatshirt, he looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Are you OK?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "I'm fine. Let's go."

I handed him his keys and he drove us over to the restaurant. Luckily, it wasn't very busy for an early Monday dinner. We sat in a secluded booth and he gave me an expectant yet hesitant look.

"The doctor said I'm due in April," I said in a voice only we could hear. "I calculated back to when I must have become pregnant—the end of July, when your parents were in Palm Springs."

He nodded in agreement, staring intently at his hands. "That sounds about right."

"So," I began tentatively, "I guess the next step is to see how we go about finding adoptive parents."

His eyes suddenly met mine, confused. "What? When did you decide that?"

"It's what I've been thinking about since I thought I might be pregnant. Come on, Jas, it makes the most sense out of any option. You and I aren't ready to take care of a baby."

"Says who?" He asked defensively. "I'd be a damn good father!"

"Sure you will be, when we're ready to start a family," I said gently. "We've got college to worry about right now. We should be focused on getting our future careers in order, not whether or not we can afford baby food."

"But, it's our baby," he replied sadly. "Some adoptive parents aren't going to love it as much as we can."

I was taken aback by his sudden change of heart. "Where did this come from? Just the other day you said I should keep abortion open as an option, now you're telling me we should keep the baby?"

"I was taken by surprise," he said. "You didn't give me much time to think about this, you know. But, now that I've been able to process things, I think we should look at all the possibilities before we just decide to give our baby away."

"Alright," I said, trying to hide my smile. He had me worried for a minute there. I thought his coldness towards my pregnancy meant he probably had one foot out the door already, just waiting for a good chance to break things off. Not that I could really blame him, a lot of high school sweethearts break up in college. And, we have the added incentive of a baby on the way. But, Jasper really and truly loves me; why else would he want to make this work?

"So," Jasper began after we placed our dinner order. "I'll definitely need to get a job sooner than I expected. But, that shouldn't be a problem now that I don't have sports tying me down."

I gave him a weak smile until a thought suddenly crossed my mind. "How am I going to tell my parents?" That silenced Jasper for a moment. We both stared at each other for what seemed like half-an-hour before Jasper sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

"We just have to do it now and get it over with," he said.  
"Not here," I said in a harsh whisper. "We'll call them after dinner, OK?"

"Sure, sure," he replied.

When our food got to the table, the server placed my chicken penne in front of me and my stomach turned a bit. This was a nice little side affect of pregnancy I've never been informed of—sudden changes in appetite. I didn't want my dinner anymore. Jasper's lasagna, however, looked unbelievably good. I gave him my best puppy dog eyes and whimpered slightly.

"What's wrong?" He asked his fork poised to dig into his meal.

"Can we trade?" I replied in a baby voice.

"What? Why?"

"The baby decided it wants lasagna," I explained.

He sighed heavily and switched our plates around. "I guess this is something I'm going to have to get used to, huh?"

I nodded with a mouthful of tasty lasagna. "And it only gets worse from here—or better, if you're me."

Maybe this whole pregnancy thing doesn't have to turn into a life-ruining situation. Maybe it can be awesome. At lease, it could be after I get through with the ritual of telling the parents. _Gee, hi Mom and Dad! You're precious baby girl, the one you've always been so proud of, she got herself knocked up_. This won't be pretty.

Jasper and I retreated to his dorm room, because his roommate never seems to be around and we definitely need privacy for what we're about to do. I went first for the parent briefing. Dialing my home phone number I held my breath, hoping they might not be home tonight. No such luck.

"Hello?" It was my mom. Good, Dad would be the more difficult parent to deal with.

"Hey Mommy," I said. "How's it going?"

"Alice! We're wonderful, how's my girl?"

"Good, good," I replied, trying to keep my nerves in check. "Um, there's something I need to tell you."

She was silent for a moment. "What's wrong?"

"I...um, am...preg...nant.."

Again, another ominous silence. And then she sighed in disappointment—I think I preferred the silence. "When did you find out?"

"I took a test on Saturday, and I went to the OB-GYN today," I said. "The doctor said I'm due in April."

"Alright," she said simply. She was being cold, even a bit dismissive. "Do you want to tell your father, or do you want me to?"

I could hear my dad in the background, asking to talk to me himself. Mom covered the phone for a moment, but I could still hear them arguing about something. Suddenly, my dad yelled, "WHAT?!! Give me that phone!"

Great, I had really hoped I wouldn't get such a passionate reaction from him.

"Mary Alice Brandon, is it true? Are you really pregnant?"

"Yes," I said, unable to hold back my tears anymore.

"That's it, you're coming home right now!" My mom was trying to calm him down, explaining they had already paid a whole semester's tuition for me. "Fine," dad replied, "But, as soon as this semester's over, you're coming home, young lady. Jesus Christ, I never thought your could do something so incredibly stupid, Alice!"

My mom managed to wrestle the phone back from him, saying he was being too harsh.

"We'll call you back later, Alice. You're father and I need to discuss this."

"There's nothing to discuss," my dad yelled in the background. "That girl is bringing her ass back to Forks as soon as possible!"

Mom sighed. "I'll call you tomorrow, sweetie."

I hung up and let my phone drop from my hand to the bed I was sitting on. Unable to hold myself together anymore, I began bawling uncontrollably. Jasper pulled me into his arms and rocked me gently, whispering soothing words to me. "It's going to be OK, babe. We'll get through this together."

I shook my head. "It's not going to be OK, Jas. Dad wants to pull me out of school. If he gets his way there's nothing I can do to stop him, he's paying my tuition."

"We'll take out a loan," Jasper said. "There has to be some kind of loan or grant we can get for you. You're smart, I bet you can get some kind of scholarship if you tried—like Bella did."

"All their scholarships have already been given out," I said. "And my parents make too much money for me to qualify for student loans. I think we're going to have to wait and see if Dad changes his mind."

"No, we'll think of something, don't you worry," Jasper said as he set me down on the bed and stood up to retrieve his phone. "Now, it's my turn to get this over and done with."

**EPOV**

I couldn't concentrate at practice. I just kept thinking about what Alice and Jasper must be going through right now. To have a baby when you're 19 and unmarried, that's got to be rough. I mean, I'm married and I can't even imagine Bella and I having a baby right now. Hell, I don't know if we could even handle a pet.

Bella had finished her homework and was already starting dinner by the time I got home. She was making fried chicken strips with mashed potatoes and green beans. I had to smile to myself as I snuck up on her and wrapped my arms around her from behind. "Always have to get something green in our dinner, don't you?"

"Yep, keeps us at least somewhat healthy," she replied. She was trying to sound cheerful, but I could tell there was something bothering her.

"What's up, Bells? Did something go wrong with Alice at the doctor's?"

"No," she said. "Well, unless you count the whole her being pregnant thing as something wrong."

"When is she due?" I continued as she put the strips onto some paper towels to drain.

"April." There was still something amiss. Maybe it's just the whole situation that's got Bella upset. Or, maybe Alice hasn't been confiding in her as much lately. Certainly Alice can be a bit distant when she's upset.

"Bella, are you OK?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She replied.

"You seem upset," I said. "Is it Alice? Did she say or do something?"

"It's not what she said or did," Bella said as she sat in one of our kitchen chairs. "It's just...nothing, I'm being silly."

"Please tell me," I begged, sitting next to her and wrapping her in my arms once more.

She fidgeted with her wedding ring before meeting my eyes. "Do you feel strange at all that your sister's having a baby before we are?"

I really wasn't expecting that response. "No...why, do you feel strange?"

"A little," she admitted. "I mean, I'm a married woman who's unmarried sister-in-law is going to start a family before me."

I sighed. "Bella, she didn't mean for this to happen. You make it sound like she's trying to steal your thunder or something."

"I know she's not doing this on purpose. See, I told you I'm being silly," she said as she looked back down at her hands.

"What brought this on?" I asked, tilting her chin up towards me. "You're acting as if you wish you were the one having a baby."

She jerked her chin out of my hand and looked back at the floor quickly. She did, she wanted to have a baby. We'd never really talked about it, but I thought we'd kind of decided to wait until we were at least finished with our undergraduate degrees before trying to have kids.

"Look," she said. "It's probably just some weird phase I'm going through. Once the whole baby drama has calmed down, I'll realize I'm not ready yet."

I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Good, for a minute there, I thought you'd gone all biological clock on me."

She smacked my arm lightly. "I'm just moody. That's a good sign for me, though; it probably means I'm about to start my period, so no surprise babies for us."

I chuckled as Bella stood up to finish the mashed potatoes. I found a loaf of bread in the cupboard and sliced it into four pieces, thinking chicken sandwiches sounded delicious with mashed potatoes and green beans. Bella declared this an excellent idea and grabbed some ranch dressing and pickle slices from the fridge. We enjoyed our dinner in piece, the threat of further baby talk forgotten—for now.

**Remember kids, read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, it's looking like this story is going to take on a regular, four-part point of view. In addition to the EPOV (Edward) and BPOV (Bella), there will also be APOV (Alice) and JPOV (Jasper). I'll try to keep this from becoming one huge cluster f**k!**

**JPOV**

This whole dad-to-be scenario was going to take some getting used to. Thankfully, my parents handled the news better than Alice's dad. My mom said they'll try to help us out as much as they can—financially, anyway. For my part, I was already hitting the local classifieds hard. But, I don't have any work experience. I was a three-sport athlete all through high school and spent my summers either training for football in the fall or on vacation with my family. This did not leave me much time to get some kind of part-time job.

Regardless, I was going to have to become a responsible member of the working world in order to take care of my burgeoning family. Obviously, the best place for a college student to look for work is right on campus. Unfortunately, the jobs that paid worth a damn all went to the juniors and seniors. That left me with the options of campus clean-up crew or working in one of the dining halls. Neither of these prospects sounded particularly thrilling. But, if those were the only places hiring a no-experience loser like me, I was going to have to make do. I put in my application with dining services.  
I got a call two days later. "Hello, is this Jasper Whitlock?"

"Yes, this is him."

"This is Jan Stevenson from dining services, and I received an application from you. I was just letting you know we would like you to come in for an informational meeting on Friday at 5 p.m. Will you be able to attend?"

"Yes," I said excitedly. "I'll be there."

"Fantastic, see you then."

The job may only pay about $6.50 an hour, but it was better than nothing. The sooner I get some money saved up before the baby arrives, the better. I was actually excited to have my first paying job, and I even had a little skip in my step on my way to meeting Alice in the dining hall. "Guess what, babe? Your man is going to be joining the UBC workforce very soon."

She gave me a Cheshire cat grin. "So am I."

"What?" I replied as I stopped her before joining the line of students queuing for dinner. "You're getting a job? Alice, you don't need to do that."

"Yes I do," she countered. "If both of us have a job, we can make even more money. And, if Dad does decide to go through with his plan to stop paying my tuition, I'm going to need some money to pay for next semester."

She had me there. I forgot about Carlisle's threat to withhold his payment of Alice's education in a high-handed attempt to make her go back to Forks. My money could be saved for the baby, and her's would have to go towards school. "But, wait. Will your job pay enough to keep you in school?"

"I hope so, I'll be working in the anthropology office, and with my anthropology professor on a research project," she said.

"What? How did you manage to swing that? I thought the only got seniors working on their thesis for those kinds of things."

"You forget, I'm nothing if not brilliant and resourceful," she replied as we reached the front of the dinner line. Alice glanced over the food the hall was offering for the day with a grimace. Her pregnancy was making her appetite even pickier than it had been previously, and that's saying something. She finally decided on a corndog and a plate of macaroni and cheese. I had to smile to myself on her dinner selection—she used to refer to that kind of food as "trailer-trash cuisine." I, however, have always had a fondness for corndogs. Maybe this pregnancy can broaden her taste buds a little bit.

We sat at a table with some girls who lived on Alice's floor. And, I had to admit, they were pretty cool. I'm not used to hanging out with girls—with the exceptions of Alice, Bella and Rosalie—so spending time with this bunch was going to be quite the experience. Alice's roommate, Tanya, was a pretty nice girl. But, she tended to keep to herself, along with her best friend, Maria. The two of them were usually found holed up in Alice's dorm room, which I found to be an awesome situation. This made Alice want to come visit me and spend the night more often. And my roommate, Garrett, was almost never around—he had a girlfriend who lived on Alice's floor, so he was usually with her.

I know they say this whole living in the dorms situation was supposed to be about getting to know new people, but I was still torn. Some of these people honestly didn't seem worth getting to know. Plus, why hang out and get drunk or high with this group of miscreants when my best friend had his own apartment off campus. Although, Alice and I didn't get too great an opportunity to visit Edward and Bella. And, really, would you want to interrupt a couple of newlyweds whose favorite pastime is staying in bed together for hours on end? I just hope Bella's stamina can hold up, because Edward's getting in even better shape with this whole college football career. I'm sure he has endless amounts of expendable energy at this point.

As for me and Alice—we're off sex for a little while. Nothing will kill intimacy better than your girlfriend's constant morning sickness. Or afternoon sickness. Or evening sickness. Why do they call it morning sickness? Seems to me this pregnancy makes Alice have to vomit around the clock. And now she's sensitive to certain tastes and smells. Like the smell of the $80 cologne I got for Christmas, the one she used to say made me smell irresistible? Yeah, it makes her sick now. And the Spaghetti Bolognese I used to make for her? She can't even come into the room lest she puke from the mere smell of it, let alone the taste.

But, these are all adjustments and sacrifices we need to make under these trying circumstances.

I went to the meeting on Friday, where I learned of the duties expected out of each employee—serving students, washing dishes and general dining hall clean up. It sounded like an unbelievably easy gig. And, come Monday afternoon, I found out it was even easier than I expected. Especially working in the dish washing department. I stood in the back room around a big, old-fashioned industrial dish washer with three other students and waited for the diners to set their trays on a conveyor belt. I only had to use my brain when there was any kind of rush (which was only between 6-7 p.m. for dinner). Otherwise, I could pull out my homework or just sit back and read a newspaper. I was becoming very fond of doing crossword puzzles.

For $6.50 an hour, I could be doing a lot worse.

**EPOV **

As soon as Alice told me about Dad's reaction, I was on the phone with him immediately. It seemed he was falling back into his old habits of being a dick. He and I argued over the matter for almost an hour. I stood out on our little balcony area so Bella didn't have to hear, but I think she understood what was going on. Once I had vented my frustration on my father, I walked back in to find Bella standing in the kitchen with a forlorn look on her face. "Edward, do you think fighting with your dad is going to make things any easier on Alice?"

"Bella, please don't get involved," I said as I sat down and turned on the TV. Instantly, I knew I shouldn't have said that as Bella's lip quivered ever so slightly and she ran to lock herself in the bathroom. I ran after her, immediately contrite. "Bella, love, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. It's just that I don't want you troubling yourself with this situation. I've got it under control."

"Oh, do you?" She cried from the other side of the door. "Fine then, don't let me in on any of your family's problems ever again. It's not like they're my family too, or anything."

Damnit, I didn't mean it that way, either. "Bella, you know that's not what I meant. Please open the door so we can talk about this rationally."

"I think I'm going to take a bath," she replied, emphasizing her point by turning on the faucet. I sighed and headed back to the couch. She'd be in there for a good hour or so, as was her ritual whenever she got upset with me. It was difficult to get her to understand, but dealing with my father was a job best handled by me. He is a stubborn, unreasonable man. And it takes a strong counterpoint to compete with that. I wasn't trying to be arrogant, or make Bella feel like she wasn't a part of my family, but this was just the way things had to be. With my support of Alice, Dad would have to rethink his stance on paying her tuition.

After about half-an-hour, I could hear Bella finally draining the water from the bathtub. She walked back into our bedroom for a few minutes, and came into the living room wearing her UBC sweats. That was never a good sign. Bella in sweats meant she had absolutely zero interest in fooling around this evening. She sat on the other end of the couch, as far away from me as she could get without resorting to sitting on the floor. I sighed and turned to face her. "I'm sorry, please forgive me. I didn't mean to make you feel unloved." She looked at me through the corner of her eye, but otherwise remained unmoved.

"Bella," I said as I inched my way towards her. "You know I love you more than anything in the world. And if I'm trying to keep you sheltered from something, it's only to protect you."

Still, no reaction. I was right next to her, and I tentatively wrapped my arms around her waste. She sat ridged, not wanting to give in to my ministrations. So, I was forced to bring out the big guns. I leaned forward and attached my lips to the upper part of her neck, just under her ear: The sweet spot. She gasped sharply and leant her head to the side to reveal more of her neck to me. I took advantage of this, covering her soft, supple neck in kisses and nibbles. Bella seemed to get more and more into it, but suddenly pushed me away in disgust. "No! You can't just get your way with me because you know where my secret spot is. You're being a dick about this situation with your dad, and I want you to actually talk to me about this."

"What's there to talk about, Bells?" I asked as I sat back on the couch in frustration. "He's being his old, bastard self and I need to straighten him out...again."

"But, do you think you're going about it the right way? I mean, you were out on the balcony for twenty minutes having a screaming match with him; that doesn't seem like a productive conversation to me."

"This is just the preliminaries, Bells," I explained. "He always starts these things out being full of piss and vinegar and stubborn as hell. But, after he calms down, he's going to call me back and realize what a jerk he was being. Believe me, we had the same argument over you."

She eyed me skeptically, and turned back to watch TV with a little huff. Sometimes, Bella doesn't like admitting I'm right. I crept back towards her slowly before mounting a full-scale tickle assault. I got my hands up under her sweatshirt and attacked her ribcage with abandon while she squealed. "Stop, stop! OK, I forgive you! Just stop, please!" She laughed as I continued my assault.

I ceased my tickling and sat back on the other side of the couch, proud of what I had accomplished. That is, until I took a pillow to the face. "Try to get your way by tickling me, will you?" Bella laughed maniacally as she took our big living room pillow and swung it over her head. It landed with a thud against my forehead. I rolled off the couch to try and fend off Bella's attack. She took an offensive position on the far side of the living room, looking for the perfect opportunity to strike. I anticipated her move and snatched the pillow out away from her with one hand while using the other to wrap her tightly in my embrace. Once I threw the pillow aside, I scooped her into my arms and took her, kicking and squealing, into the bedroom. I threw her down on the bed and pounced on top of her, landing between her legs. She wrapped herself around me and I began rolling us around, tangling us in the sheets. In the midst of our fumblings, I managed to rid her of her sweatshirt. She wasn't wearing a bra underneath, and I smiled at her devilishly. "You weren't planning on staying mad at me for long, were you?"  
She grinned evilly and tore my shirt over my head. "How could I ever stay mad at you? You're the most irresistible man alive!"

As our torsos met, the feel of our bare chests rubbing against one another ignited a certain undeniable passion in me. Through the thin layer of my track pants, I'm sure Bella was well aware of the predicament I was in. She reinforced the notion in me when she rubbed her pelvis against mine and bit her lip seductively. "Do you have something for me, Mr. Cullen?"

"Oh indeed, Mrs. Cullen," I replied with a smirk. "Would you like to see what I have in store for you?"

"Yes, please," she whispered as our lips crashed against each other in a feverish kiss. I hooked my thumbs under the waste band of her sweatpants and lowered them to her knees where she proceeded to kick them off. She was also sans panties underneath her clothing.

"Oh, you little minx," I breathed as I stared at my naked wife. "You've been planning this all along, haven't you?"

"Hey," she replied, "We've never really argued like that before. I figured this was an awesome opportunity to have make-up sex."

I grasped in mock surprise. "You little manipulator!"

"Oh, just shut up and fuck me!"

"Ha! As you wish, Mrs. Cullen." And with that, I untangled myself from my wife and removed my pants swiftly. Bella grabbed my hips and pulled me towards her on the bed. I knelt before her, and she immediately pushed me on my back and lowered her face down to my nether region. Wow, if this is what I got for pissing my wife off, I was going to make sure I infuriated her more often. Her fingers wrapped themselves around my shaft and she licked her lips suggestively as she gazed at my cock lovingly. Bella started by licking around the head of my dick before taking it as far into her mouth as she could.

"Oh Bella, fuck, that's so good," I moaned as my wife worked her magic on me. Her head bobbed up and down as she quickly brought me to an orgasm. Though, considering how worked up I already was, that wouldn't have required much effort on her part.

When she was finished, she stretched out next to me on the bed and grazed her fingernails up and down my chest lightly as I attempted to recover from that incredible sensation of climax. Good God, what this woman can do to me! Once my heart rate had returned to normal, I rolled myself on top of Bella and positioned myself between her legs, wrapping them around my waist. I gave her a little wink before I slid the length of my once again hard cock into her. Bella moaned and threw her head back as she dug her nails into my shoulders. I felt her legs tighten around me as her hips jutted up and down to match my thrusts. "Fuck, Edward! It feels so incredible!" She continued to arch her back and grab onto my upper arms as I worked us up to a very quick pace. I buried my face in the pillow beside Bella's head and my hands grasped her backside. Our climax together was glorious, it was one of the greatest bouts of sex we had ever had. Maybe we were just so accustomed to what the other liked, or perhaps it was due to our bickering beforehand. Personally, I think it had mostly to do with the latter. We were definitely going to have to have make-up sex more often.

**APOV**

Well, I may not have been expecting to have to look for work so soon into my college career, but at least I managed to finagle myself a good job – answering phones in the anthropology office part-time and assisting my anthropology professor on research paper she was going to publish for a major journal. I told her about my interest in sociology and how I thought helping her with research was going to be invaluable to my understanding of cultural mores from around the world. It would only be for this semester, but it would result in my earning $50 for every research day. That was enough for another semester of school. After that, I'd at least have work experience to help me land another job.

I answered phones in the office and Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the research team met every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon. We would report to the library and help Dr. McBeth gather information about the Fa'afafine, a group of biological males in Samoan culture how assume female gender roles. It was a fascinating study that was really opening my eyes to cultures outside of my own. There were two other students working on the research with me – Ellie, a senior, and Greg, a junior. Both were anthropology majors. I could tell right off the bat that Ellie thought I had no business with the team. After all, I was only a freshman. Greg seemed as though he was heading down that same direction after our initial meeting, but after the first couple of days he became friendlier and friendlier.

"Hey Al," he greeted as I walked into the library on the first Friday of our research days. "Got any big plans this weekend?"

I shrugged. "Not as of yet, but I'm sure I'll just be hanging out with my boyfriend. We spend a lot of time with my brother and his wife – who also happens to be my best friend."

"Wow," Greg responded incredulously. "That's quite the tight-knit group you have here."

"Yeah, as soon as my brother and sister-in-law decided they were coming to school here, me and my boyfriend hopped on the bandwagon, too. I wanted to start off in a new place when I went to college, but I didn't want to do it alone."

Greg nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. So…you and your boyfriend must be pretty serious to travel out of your home country for college together."

I had to chuckle a bit at that one. "Yeah, I guess you could say we're very, very serious." Well, if that's not the understatement of the year, I don't know what is.

"Hey, you two can gab in another three hours," Ellie said as she walked into our study area. "Right now, we have work to do." Greg and I exchanged eye rolls before heading to the stacks to find our research materials. After work, I walked to the dining hall to have dinner and see Jasper. It was difficult to sneak back to the dish room without getting caught by his supervisors, but I was able to pull it off. I sweet-talked the guy who was running clean dishes out to the dining hall floor to keep a watch while I crept into the back and found Jasper reading a book. He looked bored out of his skull.

"Hey, working hard or hardly working?" I asked as I snuck up behind him, giving him a bit of a fright.

"There's nothing going on yet," he replied. "But, once six o'clock rolls around, I'm going to be very busy, indeed."

"So, I take it you already ate dinner," I said after we exchanged a quick hug and kiss.

"I did," he replied. "But, I would be more than up for some dessert later on tonight."

"We'll see," I told him, waggling my eyebrows, "If you're a good boy."

"Always," he said. I managed to find some food amongst the dining hall selection that didn't stimulate my gag reflex and ate my dinner with some of the girls from my floor. Suddenly, Jasper's roommate, Garrett, joined us. I guess one of the girls at the table was this girlfriend of his I've never seen. He sat down and threw his arm around Kate, a really sweet girl who lived about three dorms down from me. I was really surprised by that – Kate's such a nice girl, and Garrett comes across as a bit of a douche bag. To each her own, I guess.

After I had finished my dinner, I stood up to take my tray back to the dish room when Garrett looked up and noticed me leaving. "Hey, you're Alice, right? Jasper's girlfriend?"

"Yep," I said simply as I grabbed my tray and turned away from the table.

"You two up for some herbage tonight?" He called before I was out of earshot.

"What?" I asked, turning around. I knew what he was talking about, but this was the first time in my life I had ever been offered marijuana. I wanted to make sure I understood him correctly. He mimed holding a joint between his thumb and index finger and brought them put to his lips like he was smoking. I rolled my eyes. "No thanks, Garrett. That's not really our thing."

He shrugged and continued his conversation with the people at the table while I dropped my tray on the conveyor belt that took the dishes back to be washed. The dish runner walked by and I managed to snag him before he ducked back into the dish room. "Hey, are they pretty busy back there?" He nodded shyly. "OK, well just tell Jasper that Alice will be back in her room studying when he gets off work." Again, the guy nodded and quickly disappeared behind the door.

Back in my dorm room, Tanya looked like she was getting ready to go out for the night – she had on some tight, dark jeans with a black tank top. And, much to my surprise and chagrin, she was holding my plum colored, silk tunic that my mom got me for Christmas. She held it up to her body in front of the mirror and looked as though she was deciding whether or not she wanted to wear it out. I cleared my throat loudly to let her know I had entered the room.

"Oh, hey," Tanya said as she quickly dropped the tunic on my bed. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Clearly," I replied as I grabbed the top and put it back in my closet. She gazed at my rack of clothes with a longing in her eyes and I sighed heavily. "Tanya, if you want to borrow something just ask."

"It's just…you have such pretty clothes, and I don't really have anything nice," she said sheepishly. "I was going to ask you, but you weren't here and I have a date in ten minutes."

I pulled the tunic back out of the closet and handed it to her. "Here, just be really careful, OK? My mom gave me this last Christmas."

"I will be! Thank you so much, Alice," she said as she pulled me in for a big hug. I hugged her back gently before I fell onto my bed and grabbed my book bag. I found my math book and decided to get my homework for Monday out of the way tonight so I could have the weekend free. Tanya threw the top on and then fixed her hair and makeup quickly in front of our shared vanity mirror. Tanya's not what I'd call a girly girl, so I'm not really surprised that she doesn't own many nice clothes. However, when she pulled a pair of ugly, black moccasins out of her closet, I knew I was going to have to take this girl shopping one of these days. She was almost as clueless as Bella when it comes to fashion. She turned to me excitedly. "Wish me luck!" And, with that, she was out the door in a hurry.

"She's gonna need plenty of luck with those shoes," I said to myself as I went about tackling my equations. I finished my math and made quick work of my geography homework before Jasper came knocking on my door. He looked exhausted. He also appeared to have showered and changed after work, so at least he didn't smell like that pleasant mixture of sour milk and chlorine tonight. I pulled him into the room and we immediately started making out on my bed. We started to remove each other's clothing slowly as we continued to kiss and caress passionately. It's been too long since we've made love, and I was really looking forward to this. Jasper was still hesitant, though. I kept trying to explain to him that I was already pregnant, so having sex wasn't going to have any further unexpected outcomes for us – at least not for the next seven months.

"Still," he said, "It feels strange to make love to you when I know there's…someone else involved."

"Jasper, it's about two inches long right now," I said. "It's not really all that involved in much of anything."

Tonight, I was determined to get him past his uneasiness and let him know it was perfectly safe to have sex while pregnant. And besides, I didn't really think he could go seven months without sex. He is a guy, after all.

I peeled his shirt over his head and threw it to the side as he grabbed for the hem of my shirt to do the same. Once my top was removed, Jasper went for the clasp on my bra, but stopped short as he gazed at my midsection. There was already a little bump beginning to show – that was bound to happen since I had been so tiny for most of my life. Any amount of weight gain on a girl under five-feet tall is noticeable. Jasper touched the spot just below my belly button gently and a faint smile appeared on his face. "That's where it is, huh? That's where our baby is right now."

I put my hand on the very same spot and nodded. "Yep, that's where the baby is." His eyes met mine and his smile grew even bigger.

He never made it to my bra. Instead he rolled us onto our sides and held me close to him. Jasper stroked my back gently and we just laid there quietly for about half-an-hour before we decided to just watch a movie. I guess I'll have to try this again tomorrow night.

We were almost finished watching _Death Proof_ when Tanya came back in from her date. She sat on her bed with a disappointed sigh. "Sorry guys, didn't mean to interrupt your movie."

"It's OK," I told her as I pushed stop on the remote. "We can watch this anytime. Date not go so well?"

"It was awful," she replied as she gently pulled the tunic over her head and handed it to me. "It was a waste of a perfectly nice borrowed top."

I laughed and took the tunic from her, placing it back in my closet. "What went wrong? Did you guys just not have much in common?"

"Well, yeah, there was that," she said. "And there was the fact that he was one of those sad, lonely losers who does nothing but sit in his dorm room and play World of Warcraft. I would have been back sooner, but I decided to be polite and at least have dinner and dessert with him."

"Ouch," Jasper laughed as I rejoined him on my bed. "That sucks, how did you meet someone like that?"

"Blind date," she said. "We were set up by some mutual friends."

"World of Warcraft geeks have real, live friends?" I asked in mock astonishment, making Tanya give a weak laugh. "Well, better luck next time, I suppose."

"Hey," Jasper said suddenly. "We know a single guy who could use a nice girl like Tanya, don't we?"

"Who?" I asked in utter confusion. I didn't know any single guys that came to mind at present.

"Jacob," Jasper replied. "Well, at least Bella knows him pretty well. But, we understand if you don't want to get setup again, Tanya."

I saw what he was doing – trying to find a girl to occupy Jacob before he managed to weasel his way back into Bella's life again. It was a good plan, in theory, but it didn't particularly work the first time we tried it. Tanya didn't seem too keen on another setup, anyway. "Thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll just try it on my own from now on."

"Well, if you've got nothing better to do tomorrow, we're going to be hanging out with my brother and sister-in-law all day," I said. "You're more than welcome to come."

"Maybe," she said. "Most of my friends will be going home for the weekend, so it'll just be me and the janitorial staff, again." Tanya didn't grow up in the area, like the majority of UBC students. She was from Calgary; that's a ten-hour drive.

The next morning, Jasper retreated to his room to get ready while Tanya and I went to the showers on our floor. This whole showering next to other people was something I was going to have to get used to. We never even took showers in the locker rooms after cheerleading practice or P.E. back in school. But here, all the girls who lived on my floor had to share a communal bathroom. That meant you had to get very comfortable with your neighbors pretty quickly. Once we had returned to our room and gotten dressed, Jasper was ready as well. Tanya decided she would join us for the day. "But, I'll take my car just in case I start feeling like the fifth wheel."

She followed us to Edward and Bella's apartment, where my brother and sister-in-law were setting up the Wii system Edward had finally pulled out of their storage closet. "I still can't believe mom and dad let you have the Wii," I told him as I hugged Bella.

"Whatever, you got the Xbox," he retorted. That was true enough. We all sat around the TV, taking turns on the games Edward had rented. It wasn't long before the boys brought out a bottle of whisky and began pouring drinks. Looks like I'm going to be the designated driver for Jasper today.

Bella poured me some juice and asked Tanya if she wanted anything. "Um, I guess I'll have a whisky and Coke if that's OK."

"Sure," Bella said as she poured the drink.

"You're not having any alcohol?" Tanya asked me as I sipped my grape juice.

"No," I told her in a low whisper. "Um, I'm pregnant."

"Oh," she said quickly before tucking into her whisky. I was kind of glad I finally got that out of the way, it would save me the trouble of having to explain to Tanya why I was suddenly getting fat in only my belly region.

Bella and I faced off in a game of ping cup, which I just barely won. "These stupid remotes are so touchy," she whined. "It never does what you want it to."

"I didn't have any problems with mine," I teased as I looked back at our captive audience. Edward and Jasper were talking softly about nothing in particular. Meanwhile, Tanya was beginning her second whisky and Coke and staring at my brother and boyfriend with that same longing look she gave to my wardrobe. I guess she didn't only covet my clothing. No, she's not a home wrecker, I scolded myself, she's just lonely and in need of a boyfriend. Maybe introducing her to Jacob wasn't such a bad idea, after all. I brought it up to Bella while she and I picked up a pizza for lunch.

"That could be a good idea," she said. "I don't think Jacob's seeing anyone right now. But, we just have to make it seem like we're introducing him to a new friend, not a potential date."

"Understood," I said. "But, I think this could really work out. I mean, Tanya's way cooler than Jessica."

"Yeah," Bella replied unenthusiastically.

"You don't like her?" I asked.

"She just gives me a weird feeling," Bella replied. "But, it's probably because I don't know her. I'm sure once I spend more time with her, I'll like her better."

"Very diplomatic, Bells," I laughed as we pulled back into the apartment complex.

**Oh, Tanya! She has to come in and create a little drama in every story, doesn't she? What damage will she inflict here? Only time will tell! **

**Please read and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**BPOV**

Though it does carry an all encompassing aura of freedom, college still felt a great deal like being in high school. Maybe it was because most of my classes were filled with my fellow freshmen—people who were sheltered and ignorant as a general rule. But, every day seemed to be an exercise in self control for me as I listened to my fellow students either spout asinine, bigoted opinions in classes, or gossip like they were Perez Hilton while walking the halls. I was just going to have to grit my teeth and endure my classmates' personality flaws for the next couple of years. Senior and junior years, if I'm to believe the conventional wisdom, are when the real learning begins. That's when a student is fully immersed in her major, and surrounded by like minds that have been expanded by both time and experience.

I know I'm sounding like a bit of a snob, but I guess I was hoping Canadian kids were more sophisticated somehow than the youth of America. And, this simply isn't the case.

Plus, with my husband still kicking copious amounts of ass on the football field, I also had to endure his newfound fan club. The same girls from the bar after the first game showed up to every game, pep rally and after party with Edward's number painted on their faces. I even heard them use the moniker Cullen's Cuties; it made me vomit in my mouth a little bit. I knew I had nothing to worry about because Edward doesn't have a wandering eye. But, these girls seemed to be under the very mistaken impression that painting their faces and showing up to games in revealing clothing—in 50 degree weather, no less—would catch his eye. And I'm sure they're all well aware he's married at this point.

Why do girls do that to each other? Even a young, sexy married man is still a MARRIED MAN! Just be happy for the couple and move on with your life!

I was a bit apprehensive about Alice's idea for Jacob and Tanya. Alice needs to learn that her match-making skills are shaky at best and not everyone needs to be set up. Though, Tanya did seem to have a certain attraction to Edward and Jasper. It could have just been her loneliness, but it was annoying nonetheless.

Just a few days before Halloween, the four of us were trying to decide what we wanted to do. Personally, I liked the idea of picking out a simple costume, staying at home and having a small gathering with some scary movies and lots of junk food. Alice and Jasper, on the other hand, were very keen on party-hopping throughout the dorm halls. Apparently, there was going to be at least five or six decent parties in each hall, and a few in the fraternity and sorority houses. I didn't want to sound like a downer, but it just wasn't my scene. I'm a homebody by nature. Edward eventually talked me into a compromise. "How about we go to a couple parties in Alice and Jasper's hall, and if things start to suck we can always come back home."

"Fine," I relented as we all sat in the dining hall a few days before Halloween. "I guess I could use a good party."

"Fantastic," Alice squealed. "Now, we need to find a good costume shop."

Edward, Jasper and I groaned in unison. Not even pregnancy was going to slow Alice down as far as shopping was concerned. Usually it was just me baring the brunt of her obsession, so I was mildly amused when she insisted we all go costume shopping together "so we all match!" The boys sulked the whole way to the shop, but I had a sneaking suspicion they were excited underneath it all. Plus, I told Edward on the sly that we didn't have to match if he didn't want to be "one of those couples."

"No, it's fine," he said. "It might be kind of cute, actually."

"OK then," I said, feeling mischievous. "How about we go as Tinkerbell and Peter Pan?" Oh, the idea of Edward in tights was nearly orgasm inducing. Though, the thought terrified him, I'm sure.

"Um, keeping thinking," he replied.

We all wandered around the shop, pointing out some of the more interesting choices to each other.

"I don't get how any self-respecting human being could leave their house dressed like a fat hula girl," Alice said, shaking her head in amusement.

"Some people don't take Halloween to be an occasion to dress like a stripper," I replied. "Some people actually have, you know, fun with this holiday."

"There's fun, and then there's just insanity," she remarked.

"Hey, I found the perfect idea," Edward said as he carried two packaged costumes in my direction, "A gangster and a flapper."

"Yawn," Alice said unenthusiastically. "Everybody does that."

"Alice, look around," Edward said. "There's nothing particularly unique or original in this place. Not to mention we're a bit late getting our costumes, so we're going to have to take what we can get."

"If you look hard enough, you can always find a treasure amongst the garbage," Alice replied.

"Hey Al, look what I found," Jasper called from the aisle one over from us. We scurried in the direction of his voice and found him in front of a selection of what they called "ethnic" costumes. He pointed to a geisha and a samurai.

"That's awesome," Alice said, "Pretty and feminine for me; tough and manly for you. And, they're actually fairly original. Nice work, babe!"

I put my arms around Edward's neck and whispered in his ear, "I like your idea better."

"I know," he replied. "I don't have to be strapped into some complicated getup, and you don't have to smear white junk all over your face."

"I heard that," Alice shot back.

I tried on a few flapper outfits until I found the perfect one—slightly above the knee and red, but with limited fringe. I twirled around in it while Alice appraised my appearance. "I think you should go shorter."

"Nope," I said simply. "This is the dress for me. Which geisha outfit are you going with?"

"They only have this one," she replied with a hint of sadness in her voice. "But, it's cute and it's in my size."

"Did you try it on?"

"No, I know what size I am, Bella," she said a bit too defensively.

"I'm just saying, you're pregnant so you might want to double check the size thing," I told her as gently as possible. "You don't want to get home and find out it doesn't fit, do you?"

She huffed slightly, but relented and took the costume into the dressing room next to mine to try on. As I removed the flapper costume in my own cubicle, I heard what sounded like muffled struggling, and then Alice gave a cry of frustration. "I don't believe this! It doesn't fit."

I stepped out of my room fully dressed and knocked on her door. "Honey, are you alright in there?" And then, I heard the sound of ripping fabric before Alice tossed the garment over the top of the door. A moment later, she stormed out in tears.

"I'm too fat!" She cried. "Let's just go, please!"

"Calm down, Alice," I said as I pulled her into an embrace and tried to sooth her. "It's not a big deal; it's just a part of having a baby. Come on, let's find you something else."

"No, I don't want anything else," she sobbed. Jasper walked over and wrapped his arms around her gently. After about ten minutes, he got her to stop crying. And, eventually, she found a different costume that fit. Though, she ended up having to pay for the geisha costume she ripped. In the end, she still seemed very unhappy about the situation.

"Come on, Al," I told her when we got back in the car. "Alice in Wonderland? That's so perfect for you, it's practically cliché."

Jasper seemed to really enjoy the Mad Hatter costume, though. He put on the oversized top hat and it actually looked rather good on him. I think his messy hair also worked out well in this equation. When we got back to the apartment, the boys sat down to watch some TV while Alice and I took the bags of costumes into the bedroom. I set the bags in the closet—Alice and Jasper were leaving their costumes with us as they would be getting ready at our apartment, anyway. I turned around to see Alice lifting her shirt and gazing at her abdomen's profile in the mirror. And, yes, there was a noticeable bump where her flat belly once was. She grimaced at the protrusion before pulling her shirt back down with a disgruntled groan.

"Why did this have to happen to me, Bella?"

"I don't know, hon," I told her as we sat on the bed together. "Have you heard from your parents recently?"

She nodded. "Mom said Dad's still being stubborn. He won't listen to anyone, not even Edward. He still expects me to move back to Forks after the semester is over. He's even trying to enroll me in some classes at that community college in Port Angeles."

"Did you tell her you and Jasper both got jobs so you can stay here?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "But, she said she's not going to tell Dad until he's calmed down some more."

I sighed and put an arm around her. "It's going to be OK, Alice. You'll see."

Edward knocked on the door gently before peeking his head inside the room. "What do you girls want for dinner?"

I turned to Alice. "You're the picky eater. What are you in the mood for?"

She placed her head on my shoulder and thought about it for a minute. "Um, I think I can stomach some spaghetti."

Edward smiled at her. "Spaghetti it is, then."

The next couple of days flew by so quickly, it seemed I had only blinked an eye and I was suddenly in my bedroom helping Alice put on her costume. We were going to their dorm hall for a party being held by Jasper's roommate, Garrett.

"Jas, you don't mind if your roommate throws a party in your room?" I asked as I zipped up Alice's costume.

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I don't have any valuables to be stolen or broken. Just so long as he knows he's in charge of cleanup."

Alice adjusted the blond wig on her head and smirked at Jasper through the mirror. "And, let him know he's not to try and get Kate to help him out. She's not the party responsible for this shindig, so she shouldn't be forced to cleanup after him."

I got the feeling Alice didn't like this Garrett guy. Both she and Jasper spoke very little of him, so I was withholding judgment until our actual meeting. Edward and I took a separate car, just in case either one of us wanted to leave; more specifically, if I wanted to leave. This was actually my first visit to the dorms. I had very little desire to hang around these places, since they seemed to simply be breeding grounds for drinking, pot-smoking and random hookups. And, sure enough, by the time we got to the hall there were already students walking around drunk and half-naked. Alice took me by one hand while Edward held the other and we walked through the sea of drunkenness until we reached Jasper's dorm. Most doors down the hall were opened so party goers could travel from one place to the next.

Upon first laying eyes on Garrett, he did look a bit like a useless stoner. Maybe that was just because he resembled some Kurt Cobain wannabe tonight in his baggy jeans and striped shirt with a flannel top tied around his waist. Drink in hand, he sloppily strolled amongst his guests like he was Henry VIII. Within five minutes of being around him, I wanted to leave. But, I hung around a little bit longer since Edward seemed to be enjoying himself. And, I did eventually loosen up.

Alice and I hung out with Garrett's girlfriend, Kate. She was very nice and actually very intelligent. We talked for quite some time, while the rest of the party engaged mostly in drunken games. Although, I was proud of how both Edward and Jasper seemed to behold the proceedings with only mild amusement. Neither one of the guys seemed all that interested in playing flip-cup with the rest of the inebriated buffoons. Alice and I stuck to drinking water, ignoring the looks we received from the other guests. Everything was going smoothly, until Garrett sauntered into our little circle with his eyes glazed over. He produced a little plastic box with three tiny squares of paper resting at the bottom.

"For the ladies," he slurred.

"What are those?" Alice asked.

"Oh, just a little taste of psychedelia to make your Halloween a little brighter," he replied with a stoned smile.

I stood back in shock and glared at him. "Is this LSD?"

He nodded, his sloppy grin growing wider. I wanted to smack him across the face, but instead grabbed Alice's arm and pulled her out of the room. We found our way through the throngs of students crowding the hallways until we got to the elevator. Once inside, Alice and I turned to each other in exasperation.

"Was that guy for real?" I asked. "Where does he think he is, Haight-Ashbury?"

"I don't know, he's just plain weird," Alice replied as she pulled out her phone. She called Jasper and explained to him what happened. She told him we were going to take mine and Edward's car back to the apartment. Jasper said they would be along in just a minute – apparently the boys didn't find the party to be much fun either. When we reached the car, I heard someone calling out for Alice. It was a female voice that I was becoming quite used to hearing over the past few weeks.

"Hey, what's up?" Tanya asked. She approached us with her best friend, Maria, in tow. "You guys didn't like the parties?"

"No, it's not really our thing," Alice admitted as I unlocked the car.

"So, you all just heading back to the apartment?" Tanya continued. I could tell she was waiting to be invited, but didn't want to seem too obvious. I wasn't even about to extend that invitation. Alice didn't seem to be on the same page.

"Why don't you two come by?" Alice replied. "We're just going to watch some scary movies and hangout."

"Really? That sounds like fun," she said. "We'll follow you guys there."

I shot Alice a look once we were safely in the car, and she had the nerve to ask, "What?"

"You know what," I said. "I don't really like that girl, and I'm not altogether fond of hanging out with her."

"Come on, Bells," Alice said. "She's pretty much my only friend in the dorms apart from Kate, and she doesn't have a lot of people she hangs out with, either."

"She has that little friend of hers," I said. "How many more friends does she need?"

Alice narrowed her eyes and gave me her best withering glare. "Be nice."

"Fine," I said. "But, the second she so much as attempts to flirt with Edward or Jasper, she's so out of there."

Once we got back to the apartment, I jumped out of the car and marched right inside, leaving Alice to wait for the other girls. I wasn't even going to pretend that I liked them tonight, I wasn't in the mood. After pulling out some food for everyone, I popped _The Ring _into the DVD player and turned the volume up for maximum effect. I'm still not quite sure why I own this movie, as it scares the hell out of me, but I watch it every so often to remind me why it's so damn freaky. Alice walked in with Tanya and Maria, who were dressed as a cop and a saloon girl, respectively. Tanya seemed to be fine, but Maria was clearly already a little tipsy and holding a bottle of vodka. This did not bode well for the remainder of the night.

Edward and Jasper walked in a little bit later, and they had about the same reaction to Tanya and Maria that I did. Alice sat on our recliner while Tanya and Maria took up almost the whole couch. Maria was a short, annoying girl who was inordinately proud of having a rather large bust. Honestly, this approach does work in snagging many guys, but not Edward or Jasper.

The boys sat at the table with me as I pulled out a bottle of tequila and some shot glasses. "You guys up for some shots?" I asked them.

Jasper glanced at Tanya and Maria out of the corner of his eye. "Do you even have to ask?"

I laughed and poured the shots as Edward gave me a strange little smirk. "What?" I asked him.

"So, Garrett tried to offer you some acid?" He replied, his smirk growing bigger.

"Yes," I moaned. "He was such a jackass; how do you live with him, Jas?"

"He's not around much," Jasper explained. "Plus, I try to get out of the dorms as much as possible."

"Oh, who doesn't?" Maria sauntered into the kitchen and plopped down in a chair next to me, across from Jasper. The three of us stared at her in confusion. I knew we were all thinking the same thing at that moment – _um…who invited you into this conversation?_ Edward held up his shot for me and Jasper to toast and Maria had the nerve to raise her bottle of vodka with us. I fought back the urge to slap her hand away, and instead took the shot quickly. Edward started pouring us more shots when Tanya walked into the kitchen.

"Hey guys, can I have a shot, too?"

Jasper and I exchanged annoyed glances, but Edward sighed and stood to get her a shot glass. Alice had excused herself to the bathroom – that was a side-effect to pregnancy I'm not looking forward to: frequent urination. When she came back, Maria tried to hand her the bottle of vodka. "Come on, Alice, join the party!"

"She's pregnant," Tanya blurted out. "She can't have a drink, dummy."

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Maria slurred with a drunken laugh. The three of us gave Alice identical looks that said _what did you expect? _Alice sighed and shrugged as the two guests continued to take shots and pulls from both of the liquor bottles out on the table. I made a mental note to stop them if they tried to go through my cabinets, lest the stumble upon Edward's bottle of Maker's Mark. Lord knows how fast these girls could power through that, and it's not a cheap whisky by any means. It was about one in the morning by the time Maria and Tanya passed out on our living room floor. Alice and Jasper managed to get the couch bed unfolded and slept there for the night, but that still didn't make me feel any more comfortable having those girls in my home.

"Do we really have to let them stay here?" I whispered to Edward as we settled into bed.

"We can't let them drive anywhere like that," he replied. "Not that I care if they crash into a ditch or anything, but what if they hit someone else? You know it's never the drunk driver who gets hurt in those situations."

"True," I relented as I switched off my bedside lamp. I quickly found my favorite spot on Edward's shoulder and he pulled me in as tight as possible.

"Don't worry, Bells," he whispered. "Those girls will be gone in the morning. I made Alice promise to get them out as soon as possible."

"Good," I replied.

**EPOV**

The sunlight woke me the next morning, and I groaned at the slight headache I had. Not that I got drunk last night, but I still wasn't used to consuming that much alcohol. Bella was curled up on the other side of the bed, so I decided to let her sleep while I made sure things were cleaned up in the living room. When I opened the door, Alice and Jasper were just packing away the couch bed, and the two girls were still passed out on the floor. Luckily, neither one of them had puked. I really, really didn't want to have to clean up something like that. Alice began nudging the girls awake. Tanya stirred and groaned before pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Wow, I feel like I got hit by a truck."

"You look like you did, too," Alice remarked. "Come on, ladies; let's go back to the dorms."

Both moaned loudly in protest. "Can't we hang around for just a bit longer?" Maria asked. "We're a little hungover in case you didn't notice."

"Well, how about we take you girls to Denny's for some nice, greasy breakfast?" Jasper said. "We just can't trespass on Edward and Bella any further."

"Trespass?" Tanya asked incredulously. She looked up at me with big, innocent eyes. "Are we trespassing on you two? All you had to say was you wanted us to leave."

Sure, I thought to myself, I could have told your drunken ass to leave last night and you would have ended up on the business end of a head-on collision. "Didn't want you girls to get in an accident," I replied simply.

Tanya gave me a lopsided smile that seemed a tad lascivious. Something told me she didn't think I was just being polite. Ever since I met Tanya a few weeks ago, I got a troublesome feeling from her; like she had a misplaced crush on me. It's strange how the tables have turned since high school. Back in Forks, I was forced to deal with the plethora of guys who wanted to get close to Bella. Here, I was fending off women right and left. I think I prefer the former to the latter, really. It tore me up inside to imagine how the attention on me affected Bella; not that she didn't still garner her share of attention. Only here the guys were a little more interested in her mind than her body. That was even more worrisome than the superficial interlopers.

I threw away all traces of a party from the night before and sat to watch some TV until Bella woke up. However, after 11:30 a.m. rolled around and there was still no sign of her, I crept back into the bedroom to wake her up myself. Much to my surprise and delight, she had managed to get out of bed sometime during the morning to put on my favorite pink, see-through nightgown. "I wondered how long it was going to take you to catch on," she said, opening one eye to gaze at me mischievously.

I didn't waste any time stripping down to nothing before hopping back into bed with my wife. Bella immediately wrapped herself around me as we began to kiss passionately.

"Since we didn't get the chance to do anything last night with our unwelcome guests hanging around," she said, "I thought we could get a little afternoon delight today."

"What a good idea, Mrs. Cullen," I replied. I rolled her onto her back so I could hover just over her and slowly pull the nightgown up the length of her body. She pulled the flimsy fabric over her head and threw it to the side so we were both completely naked. In no time at all, I had erased all lingering memories of last night's questionable Halloween festivities.

**As the middle of the semester nears, can Edward and Alice convince Carlisle to change his mind about bringing Alice back to Forks? And, will Alice and Bella be able to make a love match for Tanya and Jacob? Or, at least get Tanya occupied with someone else? Stay tuned!**


	7. Chapter 7

**APOV**

"GAAAAHHHHH!!!!" I screamed as I threw my favorite pair of jeans across my dorm room. Those wonderful, $200 pair of jeans that used to hug my ass perfectly, the ones that made Jasper's eyes bug out of his head when I wore them to his house that night his parents left for vacation, they didn't fit any more; I couldn't button them over my protruding gut. It must have just been karma – the pants that I wore the day I got pregnant were now silently mocking me from their place on my floor. _That's right_, they seemed to say, _your fat ass won't be fitting into these jeans for quite some time_.

"Shut up!" I yelled at them, kicking the lifeless denim to emphasize my point. "If that's the way you're going to be, I'll just find something that does fit me. How do you like them apples?"

The jeans slumped into a shape that resembled a sarcastic smirk. I kicked them again viciously. In lieu of pants, which I knew would only cause me grief today, I grabbed a pretty, Autumnal dress from my closet and wore it with a pair of brown boots. "There, that's better than stupid old jeans, anyway."

This gaining weight thing was beginning to take its toll. At least at this point I could still pass it off as the freshman 15. It just looked like I had been neglecting my duties at the gym and indulging in a few too many cocktails. Man, I wish I could have a drink right now. It was quite the paradox, needing a drink the most at one of the only times you can't consume alcohol. To make matters worse, it was almost the end of November and I was debating whether or not I wanted to even go home for Thanksgiving. My dad still hadn't changed his mind about making me leave school, so I wasn't about to voluntarily take myself back to Forks. That would just give him an opportunity to dream up some way of keeping me there.

And besides, we weren't exactly getting vacation time for American Thanksgiving because they don't celebrate it on the same day in Canada. Bella and Edward were leaving for a long weekend, but they both could afford to do so since Edward didn't have a game this week. Jasper and I had to stay in Vancouver to work and go to class. I decided to beg Edward to talk some sense into Dad. My brother was so much better at reasoning with the good doctor than I was. I usually just lost my temper and ran to my room, throwing the biggest conniption I possibly could. Edward at least stood his ground against Dad.

"Don't worry," he said as he and Bella took off early on Thursday. "I'm sure Dad's over his anger by now. He probably misses hearing from you so much he'll forget about the whole bringing you home thing if he could only hear your voice."

I rolled my eyes. "Right, when has Dad ever been that sentimental?"

"He has his moments," Edward replied with a smirk. I waved after my brother and sister-in-law as they headed off towards home. No, I can't keep thinking of it that way. As long as my father was trying such high-handed tactics to keep me subordinate to him, Forks was no longer my home. My home was here in Vancouver with Jasper and this little person now living inside of me. I had to admit, despite how frustrated I became when less and less of my clothing fit, I was still kind of excited to meet my child. Maybe there is something to be said about a maternal instinct. Though, studying anthropology like I have has put that logic into question. Do women really have a natural, maternal instinct? Or, is the idea of motherhood so ingrained in the female psyche from birth that we only think we have an instinct? It was a conundrum. And, one I could debate with my friend Greg. He was turning out to be my only real friend outside of Jasper, Bella and Edward. I was distancing myself from Tanya these days. She's still an OK person, when she's not around her annoying little friend. But, she's around Maria most of the time. The little gnat seemed to always be in our dorm room. One day, I almost rudely asked her if she didn't have some other place to stay. Surprisingly, I refrained. And, I began to keep clothes and such over at Jasper's dorm so I could spend less time with those two.

Jasper and I celebrated our Thanksgiving on the Saturday after the fact with turkey sandwiches. Honestly, it was the best Thanksgiving I ever had; mostly because I didn't have to cook anything. In fact, Jasper made the sandwiches while I sat on his bed watching a football game and drinking a caffeine-free soda. Jasper served up the sandwiches with chips and a butternut squash soup to "get us more into the autumn spirit." After dinner, he took out a pumpkin pie he had been storing in his mini-fridge along with a nice big tub of Cool Whip.

"Mmmmm, just give me the Cool Whip," I said as he cut a slice of pie for me.

"Hey," he laughed. "I worked very hard on this pie."

"You bought it at the grocery store," I replied.

"Still," he said, "I took great care getting just the right pie for Thanksgiving, so you're going to have a piece whether you like it or not."

"Fine," I said. "But, it's going to be swimming in whipped cream."

And, sure enough, I used a good third of the tub on just the little slice Jasper set on my plate. I also kept dipping my fingers into the bowl to take little tastes here and there, for good measure. At one point, Jasper had to smack my hand away lightly. "Enough, we need to save some Cool Whip for the leftovers."

I made a face at him before turning back to the TV. Jasper cleaned the paper plates and plastic silverware we used for dinner and dessert before jumping onto his bed with me. He sat behind me so I could lean up against his chest while we watched some old movies. It made me feel good inside to imagine this is what the rest of our lives could be like. Although, neither one of us has ever mentioned getting married. Maybe that was because it seemed inevitable given that we were having a baby together. But, nothing in this crazy world is ever certain.

Bella and Edward returned home on Sunday and Edward had news about our father's stubborn instance I drop out of UBC.

"Well," Edward began as well sat around his and Bella's kitchen table. "He has calmed down quite a bit. And, he seemed to be impressed that you both have taken the initiative and gotten jobs to help support yourselves. But," my heart dropped at that word. This couldn't be good. "He said he won't make any decision until you two talk in person during Christmas Break."

"That's it?" I asked, slightly relieved; Edward nodded. "Well, I should be able devise a plan that will convince him by then."

"Perhaps," Edward replied, "Just so long as you learn to keep your temper. You and Dad are more alike than you think, and it's that same unrelenting stubbornness that keeps you at odds with one another."

"That's true," I admitted. "And, I'll certainly impress him further if I'm able to show him how much I've grown in my short time here."

"You mean growth in the figurative sense, not the physical sense, right?" Bella quipped.

"That's right, smartass," I told her, sticking my tongue out at her.

"Oh," Jasper laughed, "Very mature, sweetie."

**EPOV**

Thanksgiving had been a trying experience. Alice had rested a rather large burden on my shoulders with her instance I speak to our father about her situation. Dad, for his part, was actually more receptive than I thought he would be. Especially when I told him about Alice getting research work that was usually not offered to freshmen.

"Well," he said with a chuckle. "That sister of yours is nothing if not resourceful."

"She is incredibly intelligent," Mom chimed in. "And, she's going to be an amazing mother."

My parents and I sat around the table with Bella and Charlie for Thanksgiving dinner, and the talk remained relatively pleasant. Charlie did ask a few question about Alice, since he only got the gist of the situation from Bella. Even without Alice's help, Mom still managed to make an amazing dinner this year. Of course, I'm sure she got a lot of help from my wife who has become very fond of watching the Food Network recently. I'm betting it was Bella's idea to make pecan pie in lieu of pumpkin this year.

We stayed in my parents' basement for our three nights home, and I reveled in the break from football practice. Of course, it would be back to business as usual on Monday. But, in the meantime, I could at least sit on Charlie's couch and watch a football game in peace. Although, the cultural differences between Canada and America managed to sneak up on me very subtly. "Hey Bells, could you get me a beer?"

"Sure babe," she replied nonchalantly from the kitchen. Charlie stared at both of us in shock for a moment before chuckling slightly.

"Um, guys, drinking age in America is still 21," he reminded us. "So, I don't know what you two've been up to in Vancouver, but we'll still abide by U.S. laws in this house."

"Sorry Dad," Bella said sheepishly. "We forgot."

He eyed me suspiciously for a moment. "You two been drinking a lot up there? I can't imagine alcohol is a good part of the football player diet."

"Not a lot, Dad," Bella replied. "But, we are legal up there, so we have some drinks on the weekend. It's no big deal."

"Do you keep any in the apartment?" Charlie continued, still looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, do you think the two of us are capable of polishing off a whole bottle of vodka in one sitting?" Bella asked. Charlie turned white and glared back and forth between the two of us; I don't think he really appreciated Bella's joke. So, I decided to try and change the subject.

"So, do you think you'll come up and catch a game sometime this season?" I asked.

Charlie sat back and gazed at me thoughtfully. "Well, I would like to come up there and see where you two live and all that." The mission to divert father-in-law's attention from our private life had failed. I sighed and turned back to the TV. All of a sudden, I couldn't wait to get back to Vancouver. I had so been looking forward to the vacation, but now all I wanted to do was get back into my routine. The five-hour drive back to school did manage to provide me some perspective. My parents and Charlie were having a hard time letting go of their children. I guess we have been piling a lot of stuff on them all at once – Bella and I getting married and then Alice getting pregnant; and, we were all still under the age of 20. This couldn't be an easy situation for our folks. The question now is how can we help them get over their feelings of abandonment? Mom seemed OK with everything, though I could see in her eyes how much she wished her kids had decided to stay back in Washington. I know a part of her believes Bella and I would have waited to get married and Alice wouldn't be pregnant if we had gone to, say, the University of Washington. But, that simply isn't true; our location had nothing to do with our circumstances.

And, though Dad did budge at least a little bit on the Alice situation, it wasn't much of a victory. I could only imagine what Carlisle will do once he actually sees Alice. My sister had always been so tiny and thin, now she looked like she swallowed a small watermelon. Dad was bound to more than overreact when he lays eyes on his one-and-only daughter on Christmas Break.

Charlie said he would come out to visit in two weeks. He was making it a big, weekend road trip with Billy, who wanted to come up and visit Jacob. They were even closing down the shop for four days while they were out of town. So, that being the case, I invited Jasper and some of my teammates over the weekend before Charlie's trip to help me finish off the rest of the booze in our apartment. Noon on Saturday, Jasper and Alice showed up so the girls could go shopping while the guys were "watching a game." I don't like lying to Bella, but she didn't need to know my friends were coming over for the sole purpose of getting hammered. Jeff, Doug and the offensive line showed up around one in the afternoon. One of the guys even brought a little portable grill. "Hey, as long as we're hanging out, let's make a party of it."

OK, a small party could be fun. Besides, I only invited eight guys over, so it shouldn't get too out of hand. Unless one of the guys decided to invite more people.

**BPOV**

Sometimes Edward and I do need a few hours apart, so when he said some of the team would be coming to the apartment for a little get together, I saw a perfect opportunity for him to have a little guy-time while Alice and I hung out. I found a shopping center that had not only a Babies'R'Us, but also a maternity clothing store. Alice's belly was beginning to outgrow her clothing, so we really needed to get her some pants that fit. She was starting to come to terms with her expanding midsection, but she was still a bit salty about not knowing her size. That meant she had to try on a lot of different things before she found the right fit. And the jeans with stretchy waistbands definitely didn't fit into Alice's world of fashion. "Oh, hell no!" She cried as I held up a pair. "Jeans are not supposed to have elastic in the waistbands."

"Alice," I said gently, "they still look like your other jeans from the waist down, they just have elastic around the top for your belly. Just wear a longer shirt so no one can see the stretchy waist."

"It's the principal of the thing, Bella," she told me. "I will know I'm wearing jeans with an elastic waist. How can show my face under those circumstances?"

I sighed and set the jeans back on the rack. This may be harder than I thought. Alice scowled as she looked around the rest of the clothes. There were some really cute shirts, but she didn't seem all that interested in trying them on. The lady working in the store seemed to sense Alice's distress and handed her a package. "Here sweetie, you can wear these instead of those other jeans." The package had what was called a belly band that held jeans together even if the wearer couldn't button them.

"That's a good idea," I told Alice. "Now you don't have to buy jeans with elastic waists, you can just cheat them."

Alice's scowl was still firmly in place. "It's still elastic; it's just not attached to the jeans."

"Well hon, that's just what you're going to have to do for the time being," the sales lady said. "At least this way you can wear your old pants."

"That's true," Alice agreed begrudgingly. "And, some of these shirts are actually kind of nice." She grabbed a cute red top and took it into the dressing room. I smiled and thanked the sales lady before grabbing items I thought Alice would like. She ended up getting two packages of belly bands and three shirts before we headed off to shop for the baby. Mostly, I wanted to see what kinds of things I could get Alice for Christmas. We walked around and looked at the cribs, changing tables and various gadgets. I knew we wouldn't know the sex for at least another month, but we still looked around the clothes department. Admittedly, we were sticking to the girls' section. I think Alice really wants a daughter, and I couldn't help but be drawn to all the pink. All the clothes were absolutely adorable. I took different dresses and held them up for Alice to see.

"Look at this one," I said about a pink dress with butterflies all over it. "It's quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life."

"What about this," she countered with a sundress covered in ladybugs. I stood corrected. We circled around the store a couple more times before we headed home. I'm pretty sure I found exactly what I was going to get Alice for Christmas – a crib. But, that was a rather big expense, so I was going to have to ask Edward about it. We drove back to the apartment to see what the boys were up to. When we arrived, there were an awful lot of cars in the parking lot. And, there were a lot more parked on the side of the road. I got a strange feeling most of the owners of those cars were in my apartment. And, sure enough, there were tons of guys standing around my living room. The sliding glass door was open and more guys were spilling out onto our patio area. I could smell smoke and the distinctive scent of burgers and hot dogs being barbequed. One of the guys must have brought a grill with him.

I wound my way through the group of drunken idiots and found Jasper outside working the grill with some of Edward's teammates around him. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves, but I was worried about one of our neighbors calling the police. I finally got Jasper's attention. "Where's Edward?"

"He went to get some more ice for the cooler," he told me, motioning to the gigantic Igloo cooler sitting near the door.

Alice gave him a very disapproving look. "Are you drunk?"

"No," he replied defensively. "Edward and I are pretty much the only sober people involved here."

"Then why didn't he send you to get ice?" I asked. "I can't believe he'd leave all these drunken people around here without supervision."

"Hey, it's not like we're gonna do anything," said one of the random guys. "Give us at least a little bit of credit."

Ignoring the sea of inebriated lunkheads, I took Alice into the bedroom so we could call Edward in peace and quiet.

"Hey Bells," Edward answered after the first ring. "What's up?"

"Where are you and why is practically your whole team here at the apartment? I thought this was going to be a little get together."

"I know, I'm sorry," he said. "Some of the guys kept on calling more people to show up. I promise I'll get them out as soon as I can. When did you get home?"

"Just a few minutes ago," I said. "Alice and I will be in the bedroom when you get back. Just please don't let these guys get too rowdy, OK?"

"I won't," he promised. Alice and I made ourselves comfortable while we settled in with a movie. Unfortunately, Alice started getting hungry. I knew we should have eaten while we were out.

"I'll just go have Jasper make me a hotdog," she said as she heaved herself off the bed. "I'll be right back."

"Grab an unopened bag of chips while you're out there, too," I yelled. I continued to watch the movie and started zoning out. After about ten minutes, I was beginning to drift off. As my mind wandered, I felt a pair of warm, strong arms wrap around me. I snuggled into the warmth enveloping me, but when I turned to bury my face in Edward's chest the scent was all wrong. My husband has a unique fragrance all his own, but the person in bed with me smelled of too much cheap cologne. My eyes focused on the face of James, and the stench of booze on his breath nearly knocked me out cold.

"What the fuck are you doing in my home?!" I yelled in his face as I pushed him away from me. He held me tightly, making my efforts futile.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to be in this position with you," he slurred with a drunken laugh. "And now, I'm not letting you go."

"Don't make me scream, James," I said as I held him at arms-length. "If you get up and leave right now, I won't scream for every one of those football players out there to come kick your ass. It's your choice."

"Aw, come on, baby. Don't be like that," he replied as he tried to kiss me. I slapped him in the face, but it barely seemed to faze him. He chuckled as he grabbed both my hands. "Yeah, you know I like it rough."

With my hands now incapacitated, James' lips finally found their way to mine and muffled my scream. I tried struggling against him, but James put all of his weight on top of me, keeping me trapped against my own bed. My right leg finally made its way between James' legs. I lifted it sharply and made contact with my captor's balls, causing him to roll onto the floor in pain. "Stupid bitch! That fucking hurt!"

I kicked him one more time as he writhed in pain on the floor. "Get the fuck out of my house, asshole!" The commotion summoned people to the room, but it seemed James had conveniently locked the door.

"Bella!" Edward yelled as he banged on the door. "What the hell's going on in there? Are you alright? Who's in there with you?"

I moved to unlock the door, but James suddenly pushed himself up off the floor and grabbed me around the knees. As I fell forward, I hit my head against the dresser. And then, the world went dark.

**EPOV**

I'm a complete and total fucking idiot. I wanted to have just a few friends over for some drinks and maybe to play some video games. What I ended up doing was putting my wife in harm's way. I wasn't aware James had come to the party before I left to get ice, but after I returned and one of the other players asked where he was, I immediately went for the bedroom. And, when I was just five steps away, I heard Bella's scream. A moment later, I heard a loud crack; that couldn't have been a good noise. I frantically pounded on the door trying to get to my wife. A few members of the defensive line pushed their way to the front of the crowd and managed to knock the door down. And there in front of me was one of my worst nightmares come true – James alone with Bella. My wife was unconscious while James was attempting to pull her pants off. My instincts just kicked in then, literally. I planted my left foot and swung the other back, bringing it forward until it came into contact with James' face. I heard the crunch of broken bones as James flew back towards the bed. I had to be held back as some of the team went to grab James and Alice made her way to Bella.

"Bells! Wake up!" She screamed as she shook Bella frantically. Jasper moved Alice out of the way and lifted Bella off the ground. He ran towards my car and I sped off after him, grabbing my keys on my way. I took Bella to the nearest hospital and she was immediately taken to the emergency room. And then I was forced to pace nervously around the waiting room until the doctor came out about an hour later to give us the news.

"She's fine, just a bump on the head," the doctor said. "She's had a cat scan and there is no fracture to her skull, but she has a concussion. We'll hold her overnight to watch over her. Can you tell me what happened?"

"No," I replied. "She was in a locked room when I found her. I heard a loud crack, so I imagine she probably fell against the dresser. Can I stay with her tonight?"

He nodded. "If that's what you want to do, I can't stop you. Your wife is being moved to a room right now, you'll be able to see her in a little bit."

"Thank you," I told him. I wandered the halls until I found Bella's room. Her eyes were closed as I approached so I cleared my throat gently. She looked up and smiled weakly.

"Hey," her voice was soft and fragile. It made me want to cry.

"Hey," I replied. "How's the head?"

"Pounding," she said with a little laugh that made her put a hand to her forehead. "Ah, laughing – not a good idea."

"I can imagine it's not," I replied as I pushed the side railing down so I could sit on the bed next to her. I took her face in my hands as I kissed the tip of her nose. "Other than that, how are you feeling?"

"Not good," she said so softly I almost didn't hear her. "I shouldn't have gotten myself into that situation."

"No, don't you do that to yourself," I told her. "You could not have known that would happen. James is out of his mind, but we're finally going to be able to keep him out of our lives for good."

"You mean taking him to court?" She asked, uncertain.

"To say the least," I said. "He's lucky I don't let the boys on the line just beat him to a bloody pulp. But, I'll get in touch with the DA or whatever around here and see what we can do to get a restraining order on him."

She nodded lightly before closing her eyes again and leaning against the pillows. I took my hands in hers and studied her face closely before asking, "What happened in the room?"

Bella's brow furrowed as she thought back to the incident. It hadn't been long since it happened, but her mind had to be a bit fuzzy right now. "I was falling asleep while watching a movie. Alice went to get something to eat, and the next thing I know someone was wrapping his arms around me and I thought it was you. But, I turned around and it was James. I struggled and…kicked him in the groin, knocking him to the ground. And that's when you knocked on the door. I turned to answer, and he grabbed my knees. That's when I hit my head on the dresser."

I could barely contain the hatred bubbling within me; it practically broke the surface of my skin. What made it even worse was this feeling that Bella had kept something from me in her story. That little bit of hesitation told me there was something James did that she didn't want me to know. I ignored that feeling for now as Alice and Jasper entered the room. Alice fussed over Bella as Jasper brought us some clothes and pillows for our stay in the hospital.

"So, what are we going to do about James now?" Jasper asked as he handed me a pillow to put behind Bella's head. "This has gone on for way too long, man."

"I'm not sure," I replied. "I'll just have to wait and see what our legal options are. As much as I'd like to, I'm not going to jeopardize our future by physically confronting him. So, I'm just going to have to hope the law here can come through for us."

**Will this incident finally put Bella and Edward at a permanently safe distance from James? And, how will Charlie like his trip to Canada? Stay tuned. And, as always, your feedback is greatly appreciated!  
**


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